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n ) YEARS ABAFT THE MAST 



OR 



LIFE AS A SEA APPRENTICE 



BY 



F. W. H. SYMONDSON. 




PHILADELPHIA I 

DAVID McKAY, 23 S. Ninth St. 
1884. 



By Transfer 

0. C. Pufclie Library 



KAY -i o 1938 



I 



WITHDRAWN 



r» I 







PREFACE. 



The love of adventure, together with that 
inclination for the sea so characteristic of 
English youths, led me to try a seafaring 
life. Feeling assured that my friends 
would like to know what I did at sea, 
and what I saw, I kept a diary or "log," 
in which I entered occurrences, and my 
impressions. When I returned home 
after a lengthened voyage, and was per- 
suaded to embrace a less arduous profes- 
sion ashore, it occurred to me that my 
notes, shaped into the form of a book, 
might not prove altogether unpalatable to 
the general public, whose sympathy and 
interest have lately been so fervently 
enlisted in the merchant seaman's cause 






vi PREFACE. 

by the praiseworthy efforts of Mr Samuel 
Plimsoll, M.P. In this belief I was further 
strengthened by the fact, that although 
numberless works have from time to time 
appeared about Jack and sea life, they 
were either the dreams of mere novelists, 
or else they were written by Navy officers, 
who, to say nothing of the radical differ- 
ences between the Eoyal Navy and the 
Merchant Service, had little to do with 
the common sailor beyond ordering him 
about. Dana's clever and well-known 
work, 'Two Years Before the Mast/ is, 
however, a bright exception. He served 
as a common seaman in the American 
Merchant Service, and graphically de- 
scribes the life in the forecastle — "before 
the mast." I sailed in a British ship, and 
lived in apprentices' quarters — " abaft the 
mast." 

I encountered the usual difficulties in 
keeping a log at sea, but managed to 
weather them one way or another. Sit- 



' 



PREFACE. vii 

g on a bucket and writing on one's 
Jaest, with the inkstand sliding in the 
most impossible directions, and the ship 
rolling in a heavy sea, I found not to be 
conducive to literary zeal. Once the ink 
ran short, which necessitated large addi- 
tions of coffee and water. Then, during 
the hurricane in the Atlantic on our way 
home, the seas which poured into the 
house and floated my chest gave my log 
such a thorough soaking, that had it not 
been good paper and well bound, I fear 
it would have been separated into as 
many parts as there were leaves. 

I have endeavoured to give a true de- 
scription of a sailor's and apprentice's life 
aboard ship in the English Merchant Ser- 
vice ; and in this attempt, I now offer to 
the lenient criticisms of the reader, ' Two 
Years Abaft the Mast/ 

F. W. H. S. 



ti 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER L 

OUTWARD BOUND. 

rum 

My shipmates — Our accommodation — Down the river — 
First night on board— At sea—" Chalking" for watches — 
Again at sea — Foul weather again — "Dead reckoning" — 
A narrow escape— The Bay of Biscay — Land sighted — 
Night in the tropics— Christmas at sea— Crossing the 
Line— New- Year's Day— A dispute— Work at sea, . . 1 



CHAPTER II. 

ROUTINE ON BOARD SHIP. 

Routine at sea— Cookery — The watches — The captain and 
his duties— Duties of the mates— Dispensing stores — 
The carpenter — The steward— The "doctor" or cook — 
Classes of seamen — The advance system— Men-of-war's 
men— A home visit — The apprentices— Duties of the ap- 
prentices—The boys, 



x CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER III. 

SIDNEY. 

Holystoning the decks — Land in sight— In sight of Sydney 
— A curious bet — Sydney harbour — "Old horse" — Colo- 
nial hospitalities —A "lark" — The " domain" — Parra- 
matta— Gathering holystones, . . . . . .74 

CHAPTER IV. 

COASTING IN AUSTRALIA. 

Weighing anchor— Newcastle, N.S.W. — Church in the 
colonies — New hands, . 96 



CHAPTER V. 

FROM AUSTRALIA TO CHINA. 

At sea again — The Solomon Islands — South Sea Islanders — 
A gale— Preparing for port— First peep of China, . . 101 

CHAPTER VI. 

HONG-KOXG AND FOO-CHOW. 

Hong-Kong— Victoria Peak — Discharging cargo — A joss- 
house — Leave Hong-Kong —Sickness on hoard — The Sea- 
serpent caught— The Min River— A comfortable meal- 
Pagoda Island, 116 

CHAPTER VII. 

WAITING FOR FREIGHT. 

vhir anchorage — A swimming adventure— A dinner-party- 
More changes, 136 



CONTENTS. Si 

CHAPTER VIII. 

FOR SHANGHAI. 

Loading "poles"— A boat-race— Life on board- A deck- 
load— Change in the " house "—Drifting down— Moon- 
light scenery — At sea once more— An enchanted watch- 
Threatening weather — A piping night —Wearing and tack- 
ing—Phosphorescence — The Yang-tsi-Kiang, . . . 144 

CHAPTER IX. 

SHANGHAI. 

Chinese pirates — Native boatmen— A Chinese theatre— A 
native orchestra — The Chinese fiddle, .... 172 

CHAPTER X. 

FOO-CHOW AGAIN. 

A stormy night — A cook's troubles — The Min once more — 
Hopes of a tea-freight— Reed " mast-headed," . . 183 

CHAPTER XI. 

DEATH OF THE CAPTAIN. 

Shipping tea — A fight on board— Illness of the captain — 
His last hours — Feelings of the crew — His funeral — 
Native burial-ground — Donkey-riding — Native peculiari- 
ties—A Chinese legend — Burial of the captain — Aboard 
again —Finish loading — " Curio "-buying — Onr new cap- 
tain— To sea at last, 197 

CHAPTER XII. 

WESTWARD HO ! 

Farewell to China — Romance and reality — "Driving" 
captains — In the doldrums— A ghost at sea — A squall — 
The ship aground— Afloat once more — The ghost again, . 232 



xii CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XIII. 

FOR ST HELENA. 

Betel-nut chewing — Catching a shark— Portuguese men-of- 
war — A gale — Killing the pig — Christmas-day at sea — A 
man overboard —Feelings on his loss — An auction at sea — 
On the look-out for land — St Helena — Nigger salesmen — 
A run ashore — Jamestown — A surprise, . . . 262 

CHAPTER XIV. 

PROM ST HELENA TO NEW YORK. 

To sea once more— A Yankee shipmate — A Spanish steamer 
— The Gulf Stream— Change of temperature — Another 
gale — Laying-to— Heaving the lead — A sailor's yarn — 
"Cracking on"— New York at last, . . . .285 

CHAPTER XV. 

NEW YORK. 

First view of the city — Scenes in the harbour — Brooklyn 
ferry-boats — "Runners" and their villanies — Our Yankee 
friends — Pemberton again— A Shanghai acquaintance — A 
mishap — Tattooing among sailors — A grain cargo, . . 30o' 

CHAPTER XVI. 

HOMEWARD BOUND. 

For England — At sea again — A comfortless voyage — The 
Atlantic in winter — Night comforts — A hard gale — In- 
creasing miseries — Sounding the well — Renewal of the 
gale — Preparing for a hurricane — The ship hove-to —A 
narrow escape — The hurricane at its height — Under 
"bare poles" — Effects of the storm — Heaving cargo 
overboard — The weather moderates— Old England sighted 
—Off Margate — Sailors' homes — In the Thames — Home 
at last, .327 

Explanation of Sea-Terms, 371 



TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 



CHAPTER L 

OUTWARD BOUND. 

On the morning of the 31st October 1& .., I 
passed the London Dock gates on my way to 
the Sea Queen, lying in the Shadwell Basin, 
to which ship I had been bound apprentice 
three or four days previously by the owners, 
Messrs Gleddall, Nixon, & Co. of Fenchurch 
Street. She was a fine-looking craft of 724 
tons register, clipper-built, and of the highest 
class at Lloyd's, and was chartered by a well- 
known firm of London brokers with a general 
cargo for Sydney. She was fully loaded, with 
the hatches battened down, only waiting for 



2 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

high tide at 11.30 a.m. to haul out in the river. 
My chest and bedding having been brought 
aboard the day before, I carried nothing but a 
small black bag, containing a few little things 
thought of at the eleventh hour. Captain Fer- 
guson, the commander, was a man of experience 
and ability, having been appointed to the vessel 
since she was built in 1869. His wife had 
accompanied him each voyage, and intended 
doing so again. She was an amiable person ; 
but sailors, even under the best of circum- 
stances, dislike captain's wives aboard, inas- 
much as they believe he is frequently de- 
terred from "carrying on" (risking a heavy 
press of sail in proportion to the wind) by the 
anxieties of his wife. Mr Brooks, the chief 
mate, was a kind-hearted fellow, and a good 
seaman. As for the second mate, Mr Crafton, 
he professed great friendship towards me, but 
behaved so inconsistently all the time he was 
with us, that it would be difficult to say what 
his character really was. The third mate, Mr 
Paxton, was a young man of superior education 
and breeding for his position, and with him 
I subsequently became very intimate. The 



MY SHIPMATES. 8 

boatswain, Macknight, was a big, square-shoul- 
dered man of about forty years of age, always 
inclined for a joke ; but his idea of nationality 
was so vague, that he alternately proclaimed 
himself a native of all the English-speaking 
countries in general, and of Yirginia, U.S., in 
particular; I believe he was an Irishman. 
The carpenter had been in the ship since she 
was built, and was a man of medium height, 
with large bushy whiskers. The steward was 
a thorough jack-of- all-trades ; he had been 
" before the mast " (common seaman), and a 
wood-cutter in Canada ; could play the fiddle, 
and had a very good idea of painting. He 
had tried his hand at most things except the 
stage, for which he seemed to me best calculated. 
The cook was a coloured man, with all the ori- 
ginality belonging to his race, and, with the 
steward, amused the hands upon more than one 
occasion. The crew consisted of twelve A.B.'s 
(able-bodied seamen), four ordinary seamen, 
and three apprentices - besides myself — viz., 
Charles Turner, twenty years of age, who would 
complete his four years' apprenticeship in nine 
months, and although very conceited, and at 



4 TWO TEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

times tyrannical, he was nevertheless a good 
seaman, and well up in navigation; Edward 
M'Ewan, who had previously been to sea for 
ten months, the son of a captain, and rather 
short and thick -set ; and George Reed, who had 
been apprenticed when I was. He came frorr 
near Cambridge, where his father is a farmei, 
thfsby verifying the old sailor's ditty, "Sell 
a farm to go to sea," which is considered by 
them the height of imbecility. Being of a devi] 
may-care disposition, and aged sixteen, he ap 
peared well cut out for the profession. All th* 
forecastle hands, excepting two, were foreigners 
but from having generally served some years ii 
English ships they spoke our language perfectl}- 

As I stepped down the gangway-ladder, M> 
Johnson, f 3 ship's husband, accosted me, and 
after inquh'ng whether my chest was aboartf 
told me to go forward at once to put on my 
working-clothes. Our berth was in the fore- 
part of the house, just abaft the foremast, the 
carpenter's workshop being at the after-end, and 
the cook's galley in the middle. 

There were five bunks in our berth — two on 
g&h side and one athwartships, this latter being 



OUR ACCOMMODATION. 5 

Reed's. The third mate had the upper one on 
the starboard side (right-hand side), and M'Ewan 
the lower, while Turner and I slept in the upper 
and lower bunks respectively on the port side 
(left-hand side). As I opened the door (of 
which there were two, one on each side), the 
third mate came up to me, accompanic A by the 
boatswain, and M'Ewan, Turner, and Reed 
They said they had been looking for me *o 
join them in a drink, and that I must come 
and have a " liquor up." I did not want any- 
thing to drink by any means, but being a; Mred 
confidentially by M'Ewan that it was unsailor- 
like to refuse, I complied. At the public-house 
we met Mr Crafton, the second mate, who began 
ordering several bottles of sherry; then the 
third mate ordered port; and four or five of 
the hands happening to drop in, they were 
invited to join the last good drink before leav- 
ing England. A large quantity of wine and 
beer was consumed, whilst no small quantity 
was wasted, being freely ,tossed about the ik ;>r 
by several, who it is to be charitably hoped 
were struck with a sense of their intemperance ; 
but if so, they wer^ nther late in their dis- 



« TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

covery, as they appeared to have lost all idea 
of centre of gravity, one in particular collapsing 
bstween the wooden form and the wall, from 
whence he made no attempt to extricate him- 
self. However, the time had come when it was 
necessary to leave, and not a minute too soon, 
for we found the ship slowly hauling through 
the dock-gates, in charge of the pilot, thereby 
giving us some little trouble to get aboard. 
Being clear of the gates, the steam-tug Vic- 
toria took us in tow, and we very soon were 
gliding down the river, but were signalled to 
stop to enable Mrs Ferguson to come aboard, 
the boat which had just put off being some dis- 
tance behind. 

Orders were again given to the tug to pro- 
ceed as soon as Mrs Ferguson was aboard. 
The ship's husband and the pilot were on the 
poop, while the chief mate was on the fore- 
castle head, ready to transmit to the tug the 
pilot's commands. The hands were all in the 
forecastle, more or less drunk, and, as is cus- 
tomary going down river, no work was required 
from tHem, we apprentices getting what little 
odd jobs there were to be done about deck. It 



DOWN THE RIVER. 7 

has been generally observed that fewer dis- 
asters occur to London outward-bound ships 
when first at sea, whose crews have had time 
to get sober during the time the ship is being 
towed down river, than to vessels sailing from 
Liverpool or such ports where they emerge at 
once out at sea. Off Blackwall the ship's hus- 
band called all hands aft on the quarter-deck, 
and when those who could walk had mustered 
before him, he asked each one his name, and 
then informed us we were bound to a distant 
port, that our happiness was in our own hands, 
if we cheerfully obeyed our officers — and when 
the ship came back he hoped to see the same 
faces again ; and having wished us a prosper- 
ous voyage, he stepped down the gangway- 
ladder into the boat that had brought the pow- 
der-chest aboard, which now shoved off. We 
reached Gravesend at two o'clock, where v/e 
moored to a buoy and went to dinner, consist- 
ing of steak and potatoes in a " kid " (a small 
tub, there being one for each mess). I noticed 
how the others did, and sat on my chest with 
my tin plate on my knees, waiting for my turn. 
The third mate helped himself first, and passed 



8 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

on to the senior apprentice, and so on clown to 
my turn. The first meal at the commencement 
of a voyage is rather a delicate point aboard 
a ship, as each one helps himself in rotation 
according to his seniority, which, when once 
established, is strictly adhered to at the other 
meals for the rest of the voyage. The junior 
apprentice has always to wash up the plates, 
&c, dirtied by the mess in "his watch ; but the 
watches not being yet picked, and consequently 
no sea laws laid down, they were bundled away 
in the common locker as they weTe. 

The dinner sobered most of the men to a 
sufficient extent to enable the chief mate to get 
the jib-boom rigged out, and clear the decks 
ready for sea. Towards dusk we knocked off 
work for the day and had tea (also called at sea 
" supper "), each one getting a pint in his hook- 
pot. I found it to be a pale inky fluid, fortu- 
nately tasteless, as its flavour might have been 
as repulsive as its looks. The second mate, 
for some reason or other, had failed to be 
aboard when we left London, and was now 
anxiously looked for by Mr Brooks, as the 
captain would be aboard by ten o'clock that 



FIRST NIGHT ON BOARD. 9 

night. Our berth was in a confused state 
owing to the chests not being yet placed or the 
bedding stowed away in the respective bunks ; 
and there seemed to be a perfect plague of oil- 
skins, sea-boots, and sou'-westers. At about 
nine o'clock I turned in, or rather tried to do 
so, for each time I managed to wriggle head 
first in, I as regularly wriggled my blankets 
out; at last I got in tolerably comfortable. 
The space between the top bunk and nine 
measured only about one foot and a half, which 
necessitates a* particular way of getting in — 
namely, sitting on the edge, and then lowering 
the head, and lifting up the feet, you roll in. 

During the night one of the men woke me 
up, saying it was my watch on deck, and that 
I had better look alive to give a smart relief. 
I did not relish this ; but having no alternative, 
I obeyed. Getting on deck, I saw by the cabin 
clock that it was a few minutes past one ; and 
in answer to my inquiries, the man with whom 
I kept watch informed me this was called 
" anchor-watch," — one man and a boy remain- 
ing on deck for one or two hours, and then 
being relieved by others. It was bitterly cold, 



10 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

so that I was not sorry when two o'clock came 
to rouse up Eeed and turn in myself. 

In the morning we had half a pint of coffee 
each, already sweetened, but of course without 
milk ; and having to drink it out of a pannikin 
(a tin mug), the would-be invigorating beverage 
did not look very inviting. The second mate 
was aboard, having arrived, it appears, half an 
hour before the captain. The steam-tug came 
alongside at 6 A.M., and having unmoored, we 
proceeded down the river in tow, in charge of 
the "salt-water pilot," who had replaced the 
" mud pilot " (so called from only piloting ships 
between the docks and Gravesend). The 
weather, although cold, was fine and clear, with 
a gentle breeze from the S.W. The men were 
busily employed setting up the head - gear. 
Peed and I being " first voyagers " (never been 
v^ sea before), had of course the brass-work to 
clean. When off Southend Mr Crafton sent for 
n>~ in his berth. He told me that it would be 
saier for me to let him keep my watch and 
chain ; and having had £5 given to me when I 
left home, he advised me to let him take charge 
of that also, together with a bottle of brandy I 



AT SEA. 11 

had packed in my chest. Thanking him, 1 
readily consented, and forthwith delivered all 
to his care. The tug left us off the Prince's 
Channel : the ship heing under topsails, jib, and 
foretopmast-staysail. We now began to pitch 
and roll to an extent that made me feel uncom- 
fortable in the extreme. The sky was overcast 
with heavy black clouds, and the gentle breeze 
of the morning had given way to what to me 
seemed quite a hurricane, a sudden gust some- 
times laying the lee bulwarks clean under water. 
At 5 p.m. we let go the port bower off the 
North Foreland, and came to anchor, which I 
afterwards learnt was in consequence of the cap- 
tain deeming the vessel too crank (bad stowage 
of cargo, placing the centre of gravity too high) 
to go to sea. 

At 9 p.m. the wind increased in force, 
with occasional heavy squalls. I turned very 
sick; and as the seas struck the side of 
the vessel in rapid succession, the sharp thud 
momentarily drowning the roar of wind and 
sea outside, I thought a sailor's life abominable. 
Keed was as bad as myself, and what with our 
combined groans and sighs, I fear we did not 



12 TWO YEARS ABAFT TEE MAST. 

make it very pleasant for the other three. Sat- 
urday, at 5 A.M., the wind moderating, we 
weighed anchor, and proceeded outside of the 
Goodwins under topsails, jib, and spanker ; but 
all to no purpose, for a sudden squall striking 
the ship, we were nearly laid on our beam-ends. 
I was sweeping the quarter-deck at the time, 
and as she dipped her lee rail under water I 
instinctively ran up to windward, letting go 
my broom. Eeed was at the same work, and 
when she righted, Mr Crafton set us both to 
work again. The vessel was plunging so much 
that it was an utter impossibility for us to 
s^eep, and at last giving it up in despair, we 
went below (going to your berth, off duty). In 
the afternoon we came to anchor once more off 
Margate, and the captain soon after sent the 
third mate, Mr Paxton, ashore with a special 
letter to the owners, intimating that the ship 
was unfit to proceed to sea. 

The next day (Sunday) we weighed anchor 
and shifted to the Downs. The weather grew 
again very severe, and riding in an open road- 
stead, we rolled as badly as ever. I never 
tasted a drop of the brandy I had intrusted to 



•CHALKING" FOR WATCHES. 18 

the care of Mr Crafton. He told me he had 
broken the bottle, but I afterwards found out 
that he drank it himself. Tuesday, at eleven 
o'clock, the third mate returned aboard, accom- 
panied by Mr H (one of the owners), with 

instructions from the owners to return to Graves- 
end. We were not a little amused whilst heav- 
ing round the windlass at seeing Mr H 

leaning over the bulwarks deplorably sick. Our 
putting back made the men strike up the well- 
known homeward-bound " chanty " — 

" Good-bye, fare-ye-well ; 
Good-bye, fare-ye-well ! " 

The tug Palmerston towed us up to abreast 
of the Chapman, where we anchored for the 
night. At eight o'clock we "chalked" for 
watches, and I turned into my bunk. When 
anchor- watch is required, the men settle their 
turns by chalking a circle on a chest, dividing 
it into as many divisions as there are men, 
each one putting a mark in his own division; 
and when they are all filled in, the cook, or 
some one who did not witness the marks made, 
is called in to rub them out. The first one 
wiped off has the first watch— viz., from 8 to 9 



14 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST, 

P.M. — the second one he chances to fall on has 
the second watch, — and so on to the last ; and if 
the number of men exceeds the hours of duty, 
then they begin their turn the following night. 
It would be difficult for any one who has not 
been to sea to conceive how disagreeable it is 
to turn out of a warm bunk to keep an hour or 
two's dreary watch on deck. A spray invariably 
breaks over you to begin with; and, if the 
weather is at all rough, a " green sea " will roll 
over the bulwarks occasional^, sweeping you 
mercilessly along the decks. Weighed at live 
o'clock next morning, and proceeded in tow up 
the river, arriving at Gravesend at noon. This 
day last week we had sailed from it apparently 
bound to Sydney, little thinking we should so 
soon return. During that time I saw but too 
plainly what little romance there is about a 
sailor's life; in fact, the weather was all that 
was bad during the whole of the time ; and if 
it is unpleasant ashore, it is ten times so 
afloat. 

The following day a lighter came alongside 
H T ith fifty tons of iron in bars as ballast, and 
9il nands were employed discharging cargo out 



AGAIN AT SEA. 10 

of the main hatchway. By Sunday the iron 
was all stowed snug at the bottom of the hold, 
and the cargo restowed above. Next morn- 
ing" the Palmerston was once more towing us 
dcwn. All went well till about off the North 
Foreland. We had just been sent to dinner, 
and it was blowing half a gale of wind, when 
suddenly a hard thump, causing the ship to 
quiver, startled us all. We rushed on deck, 
our first impression being she had struck a 
bank, but the reason was now plain. During a 
squall the hawser had parted, leaving us totally 
unprepared for such a contingency; the tug 
being already away some distance on our port 
bow. There was no time to lose, as we were 
fast drifting on a lee shore, with a heavy sea. 
The topsails were at once loosed and hoisted, 
and the ship was wore to the north, which 
enabled us to come to anchor in the evening. 

Until Friday the 15th November it blew i 
continuous gale from the N.E. ; however, on 
this day the wind moderated, and went round 
to N.N.W., so we weighed anchor and bore down 
Channel. The wind and sea went down the day 
after, and on Sunday the sun shone gloriously 



16 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

accompanied by a light breeze. To my great 
satisfaction I washed myself (the first time 
since leaving Gravesend), and joined the hands 
wk were smoking on the forecastle-head. The 
weather being so bright, and the Devon coast 
so beautiful, made me think the life not so bad 
after all. Everything auguring well, the pilot 
left us in the afternoon. But such weather in 
November was too good to last. During the 
evening the watches were formally picked and 
set. Picking watches at the beginning of a long 
voyage is an important act. All hands are 
mustered on the quarter-deck, the first and 
second mates each selecting a man alternately. 
TIk je chosen by the first mate are in the port 
watch, while the second mate's are in the 
starboard; I fell in the latter, together with 
M'Ewan. Although not the general rule, the 
third mate was in the starboard watch, and 
he boatswain in the port. The ship's crew is 
thus equally divided in two companies, one of 
which is always on duty for four hours at a 
time, that being the length of a watch, ex- 
cepting the "dog watches," from 4 to 6 and 
6 to 8 P.M., two hours each, which prevents 



FOUL WEATHER AGAIN. 17 

the same watch falling to the same men the 
next day. 

Until the last few years it was the custom 
in nearly all merchant ships to keep the hands 
on deck and at work throughout the afternoon 
from 12.30 until sundown; and even some- 
times, if there were a heavy press of work, as 
just before making port, all hands were kept on 
deck during the day. This was justly consid- 
ered hard treatment, the men having next to 
no time for sleep or rest. On these occasions, 
when both watches remained on deck all day, 
the division of time was still continued, the 
wheel being relieved by a man from the proper 
watch on deck. However, keeping all hands on 
deck during the day no longer exists in English 
vessels, excepting after an accident, or in the 
expectation of one. All hands are still occa- 
sionally kept on deck in the afternoon, but this 
is also being dropped. 

When our watch came on deck at midnight 
the wind had chopped round ahead, and was 
blowing unpleasantly hard, increasing from 
hour to hour. Monday morning dawned with 
a tremendous gale and a mountainous sea. 



18 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

which tossed us about like a cork, besides 
continually breaking over us. Our berth was 
worse than a pig-sty: seas playfully rolled in 
at the lee door (which had to be kept open 
for light), and the working of the ship having 
broken adrift our chests, they lost no oppor- 
tunity of floating about and knocking each 
other. At midnight the gale reached its 
hardest, and, as is usual in such weather, the 
" well" (the shaft that goes down to the keelson) 
was sounded every two hours. This is neces- 
sary, from the excessive labouring of the vessel 
opening the seams, and thus producing leakage, 
which, if not kept under by pumping, is liable 
to increase to a dangerous extent. It greatly 
varies, being a maximum in old wooden ships 
and a minimum in new iron ones. 

On Wednesday, the gale continuing with 
unabated fury, with dense fog and rain, all 
hands were called in the afternoon to heave 
the lead. This is a thick bar of lead, enlarging 
towards the bottom, which is slightly hollow 
to allow place for tallow or soap, so that the 
shells or sand at the bottom may adhere to 
it By this means, together with the depth of 



"DEAD BSCKOMNG." 19 

water, a ship's position may be pretty nearly 
calculated on reference to the chart. In this 
case the depth was forty-two fathoms. A ship's 
reckoning is carried on by two methods ; first- 
ly, by solar observation — secondly, by "dead 
reckoning." The former is the most perfect 
and correct naturally, and is only supplemented 
by the latter for checking purposes, or in case 
the sun is obscured by clouds. The captain 
navigates by solar observation ; the chief mate 
by " dead reckoning," besides assisting the cap- 
tain in his department. " Dead reckoning" con- 
sists in taking the bearings and distance of a 
known point ashore before losing sight of land, 
then taking into account the distance run and 
course made every twenty-four hours from that 
date and place. This way, however, being liable 
to considerable error, as much from leeway as 
from the impossibility of accurately judging 
the distance run daily, is never entirely relied 
upon, but always aided by soundings when near 
'.and. 

Friday night the gale had increased to a per- 
fect hurricane. At midnight, being our middle 
watch, I was roused out of a sound sleep, and 



20 TWO YEARS 'ABAFT THE MAST. 

had barely awoke when the boatswain, leaning 
in at the doorway, shouted out, "All hands ! " 
the ship being then under bare poles. The 
third mate told me, as he went on deck, to 
"bear a hand" (look sharp). The others had 
been gone about ten minutes when I got on 
deck, and not seeing any signs of the men any- 
where, I imagined them to be aft on the poop, 
whither I reluctantly directed my steps, which 
was a matter of no small difficulty, considering 
the rolling and total darkness. It was useless 
to try to detect by sound the whereabouts of 
the men, as the roar of the wind and waves 
was, if possible, more than deafening. " Green 
seas," a massive block of water, as it were, were 
constantly breaking over the quarter-deck, with 
the quivering thud so well known* to sailors, 
sweeping the main-deck as they lurched to 
either side, and drenching me up to the waist 
as they rolled along. At last, thinking I stood 
very little chance of ever reaching the poop- 
ladder, I was deciding -to return, when in an 
instant an unusually heavy sea struck the ship, 
causing her to lay over so much that I com- 
pletely lost my balance, and clutching at a cask 



A NARROW EXCAFM. 21 

just on the move, I went headlong down to lee- 
ward, striking with my brow the spar lashed 
against the bulwarks, and was immediately sub- 
merged. Although very giddy, I lost no time 
in regaining my feet, and having been carried 
by the water to the quarter-deck, I managed to 
gain the port cabin door. I threw myself on 
the chest in Mr Brooks's berth quite exhausted, 
where I shortly afterwards fainted. Upon re- 
covering my senses, I found Mr Crafton stand- 
ing by me lighting his pipe, he having carried 
me to his bunk, oilskins and sea-boots still on. 
He said he found me lying across the deck in 
the mate's berth. This was unmistakably a 
kind act, although at strange variance with 
certain deeds hereafter. When morning came 
I was glad to get my eye plastered up, which 
the steward soon did. The gale, though stil] 
raging, had somewhat abated. At noon all 
hands were called to heave the lead, and bottom 
was reached in forty fathoms — sand and stones. 
Shortly afterwards a sea struck the boat on the 
port davits, seriously damaging the gear. We 
sounded again at midnight and found bottom 
in thirty-eight fathom*. 



22 TWO YEARS ABAFT TEE MAST. 

On Tuesday the weather moderated, but as 
everything seemed to indicate a return of bad 
weather, the captain resolved to seek shelter ; 
and accordingly we squared the yards and stood 
in for Portland, where we came to anchor inside 
the breakwater at 5 p.m. It was time we got 
inside, for that night it must have blown a 
"living gale" outside, judging by the way the 
masts quivered in the ship. The next day a 
fine ship, the City of Adelaide, was discovered 
ashore, a complete wreck, a short distance along 
the coast, and several lives were lost. 

From Monday the 25th November to Monday 
2d December we lay windbound. I received 
numerous letters from home ; indeed, one every 
morning, which I regularly answered. We 
filled up with water and took aboard some fresh 
meat; and the wind having hauled round to 
N.E., with fine and clear weather, we weighed 
anchor to the tune of the " chanty," — " I served 
my time in the Black Ball Line," — and pro- 
ceeded out by the west entrance of the break- 
water. The weather was beautiful, and seemed 
to foretell a prosperous voyage at last. The 
following day the breeze had somewhat in- 



THE BAY OF B ISO AY. . 28 

creased, but still the weather held fine, and by 
the evening the anchors were got inboard. I 
had not been up aloft yet; but in the after- 
noon, being on the poop, the captain sent me 
up to the mizzen-top to reeve the port cross- 
jack leachline through its block. I felt rather 
uncomfortable up there, and was glad to get 
down again on deck. 

On the 5th the wind shifted round to the 
west, with squalls, which in the evening in- 
creased to a fresh gale. We were now in the 
Bay of Biscay, which seemed determined not 
to spare us any more than the English Chan- 
nel. The sea ran mountains high, at times 
breaking over the ship in a fearful manner. 
Day after day rolled by, but still no change. 
The ship strained heavily, which obliged us 
to keep the pumps going night and day: 
no easy task, as the seas often made a clean 
breach over the vessel. On Tuesday at mid- 
night a lull occurred ; and at daybreak of Wed- 
nesday, it being our morning watch on deck, 
the carpenter was in the maintop looking after 
some repairs there, when, to our bewilderment, 
he sang out, " Land ho ! on lee beam ! " The 



24 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

captain immediately called all hands to wear 
ship. It was a critical moment ; we drifted so 
fast that the rocks could now be seen from the 
deck. However, barely had the order been 
given to put the helm up, than the wind shifted 
round to N.E. Nothing could have happened 
more fortunately. The yards were squared; 
the foresail, the maintop-gallant sail, and outer 
jib were set, and away we went ploughing, bows 
under. The coast soon disappeared, but not 
before it was discovered to be Cape Prior, Por- 
tugal. We must have drifted a great distance 
during the four or five days the captain was 
unable to obtain an observation; certainly we 
never reckoned on being near there. In the 
evening the clouds and mist cleared away, re- 
vealing once more a blue sky. The weather 
gradually became milder as each day saw us 
further south. It still blew a steady breeze, 
and we averaged about eight knots an hour, so 
that in a few days we were glad to take off ou 
pilot-jackets; and soon after our clothing was 
reduced to dungaree trousers (a thin blue cot- 
ton stuff, much worn by sailors) and a flannel 
shirt. Every one of course went barefooted, 



LAND SIGHTED. "25 

which custom soon produced its fruits, in my 
case, of numerous bruises and scars. Fortu- 
nately this is only for a month or so; after 
that the skin becomes so thoroughly hardened 
from knocks and exposure, as to protect the 
feet almost as well as shoes. 

On Sunday the 15th we sighted the group of 
islands called the Great Desertas. This was 
indeed a day of rest. The wind still held fair, 
and was so steady, that the yards required no 
trimming all day. The forecastle-head and 
deck presented a curious sight; for, profiting 
by the warm weather, we turned out all our 
bedding, boots, and " go-ashore " clothes to dry. 
My mattress had been wet since we left the 
Bay of Biscay, which made me appreciate a dry 
one that night. During the week we were busy 
igging out studding-sail booms and setting the 
sails. When I say " we," I mean the men ; we 
apprentices usually got a job "aft," such as 
washing the cabin bunk-boards, or scrubbing the 
cuddy-deck, or else our respective mates' berths 
As Beed was one morning dipping a mop over- 
board, the flannel head suddenly dropped off 
into the water, much to his confusion. The 



26 TtVO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

boatswain, seeing it floating by, immediately 
ran to Eeed and quickly made him scrape a 
mark on the bulwarks at the spot where he had 
lost it, with the nail remaining in the stick, to 
insure its being found when the ship passed 
that way again. Eeed had a wholesome dread 
of the boatswain with his rope's-end, and in his 
bewilderment never gave a thought to what he 
was being ordered to do. But he was much 
put out when he discovered he had been made 
the subject of a joke. 

Owing to our long passage so far, the coals 
ran short, and the captain ordered the anchors 
to be got out for the purpose of putting into 
one of the Cape de Verde islands ; however, it 
soon after fell to a dead calm, in the course 
of which we drifted in sight of the island of 
Antonio, but it was so misty we could only see 
a faint outline of it. A breeze at last sprang 
up, and we signalled the Italian bark Antoi- 
nette Castro. The captain took occasion to ask 
them for half a ton of coals ; they replied we 
could have them if we fetched them. The 
quarter-boat was soon lowered, and after about 
an hour's absence returned with the desired 



NIGHT IN TEE TROPICS. 27 

coals, and also several bottles of cordial for our 
captain, besides eighty cigars apiece to the 
first and second mates. She was bonnd from 
Bremerhaven to Eangoon, and was fifty-two 
days out. This was the first vessel at sea we 
had boarded, and I closely watched her various 
movements as she backed her mainyard to 
heave to. Objects always appear considerably 
nearer than they really are when seen at sea ; 
this was very noticeable in the long time the 
boat took pulling across the apparently short 
distance. The bark had now trimmed her yards, 
and was standing away on her course again. 

We were now in the KE. trades, carrying 
us along at the rate of eight to ten knots an 
hour. I thought I never should be able to 
admire to my full satisfaction the supreme 
beauty of the tropical nights. Above, a star- 
spangled firmament, glittering, twinkling, and 
glaring, truly magnificent in its myriads of 
lights and well-defined constellations. Of the 
latter the " Southern Gross " shines forth in 
majestic glory, beautiful in its simplicity — a 
noble emblem. Below, the deep indigo ocean, 
hushing its very ripple, that nothing may 



28 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

disturb the sublime and impressive scene 
Around our stern and in the wake, the phos- 
phorescence gambols and plays, as if thankful 
for the new lease of life given it by our onward 
progress. All round, the horizon stands boldly 
out against the sky, the two different shades 
intensified by contrast. The contemplation of 
such unlimited grandeur in the heavens, of such 
boundless waters on all sides murmuring and 
sighing in a whisper, controlled by some mighty 
invisible power, excites simultaneously a feeling 
of awe and sorrow. I would sit for an hour 
at a time on the bulwarks enraptured with the 
romantic scene, till the harsh cry, "Trim the 
binnacle ! " or " What's the time ? " reminded 
me that I was aboard the Sea Queen, and 
that it was our middle watch. I had full 
leisure to look about during my night watches, 
as I was the junior apprentice in our watch, 
and consequently had to look after the time 
and strike the bell, besides trimming the 
binnacle - lamp, &c. Yet, notwithstanding I 
always paid for it dearly, I sometimes risked 
a nap, with the innocent resolution of waking 
at the proper minute. Finding the deck rather 



CHRISTMAS AT SEA. 29 

hard, I frequently lay on the sails in the sail- 
locker, which was one of the cabins leading out 
of the cuddy, and facing the clock, and from 
whence* I have been tugged out by the leg more 
than once. Mr Grafton allowed me to sit on his 
chest in his berth when it rained on deck, of 
which favour I often availed myself, until on one 
occasion, feeling particularly sleepy, I thought 
there would be no harm in sitting in his bunk. 
But I did worse than that, for I fell sound off to 
sleep in it. A heavy brass-work job the next 
day was the consequence, which impressed me 
with the desirability of not incurring such risk 
again. 

Wednesday the 25th Dec. 18 — . Christ- 
mas Day.— -It certainly was not Christmas 
weather : a scorching sun blazed down upon us 
from a cloudless sky. Our lat. was 12° 14' 
N. ; long. 26° 14' W. The captain held service 
in the cuddy, after which we made a very pas- 
sable dinner, extra rations having been served 
out to us by the captain's orders, consisting 
of preserved meat, ditto potatoes, and plum- 
pudding, and half a pint of beer each ; but the 
heat was unbearable throughout the day. When 



30 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

our watch came on deck that night at twelve 
o'clock, Mr Crafton called me on the poop 
and gave me a large piece of cake and a glass 
of beer; but where he procured either from 
I thought it best not to inquire — certainly he 
was a strange fellow : rather hard upon me at 
times, no doubt, and yet frequently kind in 
other ways. In a few days we entered the 
•' doldrums." In these regions, extending from 
lat. 5° 1ST. to 5° S., it almost perpetually rains, 
without a breath of air stirring ; and when a 
light breeze does spring up, which enables the 
ship to make a little way, it shifts to all points 
of the compass with such rapidity as to try all 
tempers aboard. Instances have occurred when 
vessels have been detained for weeks in these 
seas becalmed. On Friday it rained a regular 
downpour, with lightning at intervals. We 
made the best of it, for we all stripped and had 
a thorough wash from top to toe. To a lands- 
man the scene must have appeared ludicrous 
enough, seeing the extraordinary activity sud- 
denly displayed in cleaning ourselves and our 
clothing. All the water-casks were filled up 
in a very short time. 



CROSSING THE LINE. 31 

Monday saw us cross the Line in long. 28° 13' 
W., and well I remember the day. I was in- 
formed at noon that during the dog-watch, 
from 6 to 8 P.M., I should, together with Reed 
and Bury, one of the ordinary seamen, be in- 
itiated into the mysteries of Neptune. At the 
appointed time Eeed and myself were con- 
ducted on deck ; as for Bury, he ran up the 
rigging, and notwithstanding every effort was 
made to catch him, he managed to escape the 
ordeal. I was first. I was made to sit upon a 
board placed across the wash- deck tub, which 
was full of water, and the men being all now 
assembled around the main hatch on which the 
tub was placed, the steward, personating Nep- 
tune, opened a book, and began asking me a 
few questions, such as, Why did you come to 
sea ? Did you never cross the Line before ? 
Where do you live ? &c. As I opened my 
mouth in answer to the last question, the boat- 
swain from behind endeavoured to empty the 
contents of a bottle down my throat; but I 
managed to clench my teeth in time, and so 
far avoided a beverage which, judging by its 
nauseous smell, had been obtained from the 



32 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

pens of the live-stock. My chin was next 
noticed as being unbecomingly smooth, and 
as they said the only remedy consisted of 
tarring and scraping, it was accordingly pre- 
scribed. Having only a pair of duck trousers 
on, they tarred me from the head to the waist, 
whereupon one of them attempted to scrape my 
face with part of a rusty hoop. However, what 
with the tar in my eyes, and somehow or other 
no longer relishing the fun, I strongly resisted, 
and the consequence was, Neptune ordered me 
to be formally baptised. The words were barely 
out of his mouth, when suddenly the board was 
jerked away, causing me to plunge backwards 
into the water. I thought this indeed unpleas- 
ant, the more so as 1 never expected it. After 
struggling a good deal I scrambled out, and 
amidst the general laughter and applause 1 
ran along the deck to clean myself. I com- 
menced rubbing myself over with oil, which 
soon turned the tar a grass green. I used about 
half a pint of lamp-oil, but as Eeed and I had 
the cleaning and filling of the ship's lamps, 
which necessitated the feeder being kept in our 
berth, we were not on ration. Eeed was served 



NEW-YEAR'S DAT. 33 

t 

■ 
the same way, and came below about half an 

hour afterwards. 

1st January 18 — , New -Year's Day. — The 
captain gave us a holiday, but no extra food, 
which marred the day, as sailors don't much 
care to be jolly on an empty stomach. During 
the night watches Mr Crafton at times took me 
up aloft, sometimes as high as the mizzen cross- 
trees, showing me the way to climb, and caution- 
ing me against trusting to the ratlins instead of 
the shrouds. Our coals again ran short ; and 
so low had they got that the carpenter had re- 
ceived orders three or four days previously to 
cut down the main skysail-mast, which, like a 
good many spars and booms, went to feed the 
galley-fire. On Thursday the 9th we sighted 
and boarded a bark called the Annie, from 
London to Brisbane, thirty-eight days out, 
from whom we obtained half a ton of coals. 
Rather a curious meeting took place on this 
occasion. M'Ewan, one of our boat's crew, 
recognised his brother as their second mate, 
he being up to that time entirely ignorant of 
his whereabouts. We were now in lat. 27° 34' 
S., and the sun nearly vertical. One afternoon, 
c 



84 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

during a dead calm, I could not resist the 
temptation for a bathe, and was soon after fol- 
lowed by Mr Paxton, the third mate; but the 
captain ordered us inboard again on account 
of the sharks. We remained in sight of the 
Annie above a week. Being in lat. 38° S. we 
had lost the S.E. trades, which as a rule are 
seldom experienced beyond 30° S. 

On Tuesday the 21st the wind veered round 
to the southward, soon after increasing to a 
strong gale ; but it abated the next morning. 
Thursday the 23d we spoke the ship Prince 
Charlie, Liverpool to Aden, seventy- two days 
out; and the next day the Lady Palmerston, 
Liverpool to Bombay, fifty-three days out. 
Ever since the ship left Portland Mr Crafton 
and Mr Paxton had been on bad terms with 
one another. It is not customary for the 
second and third mates to be in the same 
watch. The first mate and third mate inva- 
riably command the port watch, whereas the 
second mate and boatswain take the other. I 
don't know how they came to be so placed — 
whether it was the captain's orders or their 
OWU choosing — but it certainly was the cause of 



A DISPUTE. 35 

several disputes, the following amongst them. 
Coming down Channel Mr Crafton always had 
"Mr Paxton on the poop with him for the sake 
of company. They were pretty good friends 
then, so Mr Paxton very readily took his post 
beside the second mate during the night 
watches, which to a certain extent was a favour 
on his part, since third mates never take regular 
charge of a watch, being only required to keep 
themselves handy in any part of the ship they 
choose, which would not be the poop by any 
means. After a time Mr Crafton used to ash 
Mr Paxton to keep watch whilst he went be- 
low to fill his pipe. This became quite regular 
as we eutered the tropics; so that at four 
bells, when the log is hove, and which is the 
third mate's duty, Mr Crafton would vanish 
below, not to return for sometimes more than an 
hour, Mr Paxton having naturally meanwhile 
to walk the poop. This he finally refused to 
do — hence continual quarrels. One night, 
somewhere about the meridian of the Cape of 
Good Hope, it was our middle watch on deck 
{i.e., 12 to 4 A.M.), and as usual we relieved the 
port watch at midnight. A stiff gale was blow- 



36 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

ing from the S.E., the ship being braced sharp 
up on the starboard tack under upper topsails ; 
and as the sea increased she commenced diving 
bows under, therefore Mr Crafton ordered the 
fore and mizzen upper topsails to be stowed. 
It was cold and wet aloft, so that when Mr 
Paxton got down on deck again he may very 
possibly not have been in the best of humours 
(third mates always lend a hand aloft). As 
usual after taking in or setting sail, he saw that 
all the ropes were coiled up forward. When 
he went aft, Mr Crafton inquired if the ropes 
were all clear ; and upon Mr Paxton answering 
rather sharply in the affirmative, he assured 
him he was a liar. High words ensued, in 
which Mr Crafton greatly excelled in thorough 
coarseness. As this took place on the quarter- 
deck, just outside the captain's cabin, he came 
out to ascertain the cause. But Mr Crafton 
continued using such strong language that 
the captain caught him round the waist, and 
lifting him off the deck, carried him into 
his berth, where he locked him in. He sin- 
cerely apologised the following morning to the 



WORK AT SEA. 37 

'captain, who allowed hini to resume his duties, 
though not before he had "logged" both him 
and Mr Paxton ("to log" means entering a 
person's name in the official log-book for insub- 
ordination, &c, for punishment by the authori- 
ties ashore) ; but he subsequently forgave them. 
A little incident like this serves to vary the 
otherwise monotonous routine of a sea-life, 
particularly as it affords a topic of conversa- 
tion for days after. 

The weather was now dull and cold, with 
frequent rain, our lat. being 41° S., which is 
necessary to catch the prevailing westerly winds 
for ships running down their " eastings." Large 
numbers of whales were often to be seen play- 
ing about. It is curious what a quantity of 
work there is always to be done aboard ship. 
Three or four of the best men are continually 
busy repairing the rigging and chafing-gear, 
while others are variously employed about the 
decks, " seizing " blocks, putting new strands in 
ropes, &c. The apprentices have generally to 
fetch and hold the tar and grease pots and 
marline-spikes for the men at work ; not at all 



38 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

aL unpleasant task in fine weather up on a top- 
gallant-yard out of the mate's way, although a 
knowledge of the art of holding on by one's 
eyelids is oftentimes desirable. 

Then the masts want scraping and greasing ; 
the ironwork wants beating and painting; and 
" sennit " and " foxes " are in perpetual demand. 



ROUTINE AT SEA. 



CHAPTEK II. 

ROUTINE ON BOARD SHIP. 

It may prove interesting to say a few words 
about the ordinary routine at sea aboard a 
merchant-ship. I will begin at mid-day, being 
the hour at which a new sea-day commences. 
Supposing our watch was then below, we come 
on deck at 12 o'clock (eight bells) to relieve the 
port watch, who then go to dinner. A watch is 
composed of an officer (first or second mate, as 
the case may be), and of a gang of men under 
his command. It is the officer's duty to see 
that the work is carried on properly, and he 
must also occasionally look after the steering, 
and carefully notice the shifting of the wind, 
as well as the approach of a squall, or of any- 
thing likely to endanger the ship. Then comes 



40 TWO YEAtiS ABAFT THE MAST. 

the helmsman, who receives his orders from the 
man he relieves, who is bound to keep the 
ship as close to her course as the wind will 
allow, — as, for instance, when close-hauled; 
the rest of the men being scattered about to 
different jobs. I, being the junior apprentice 
in the watch, had to look after the time and 
strike the bells. Consequently, at half-past 12 
I strike one bell, at 1 o'clock two bells, at 1.30 
three bells, and so on. At four bells the wheel 
is relieved. The relief always goes below ten 
minutes or so before his time comes to take the 
wheel, for the purpose of cleaning himself some- 
what, and also getting a smoke. Captains are 
very particular about the helmsman being 
cleaner than when at his ordinary work, partly 
on account of the wheel being located on the 
poop, which may be termed captain's quarters 
If, during a strong breeze, a royal or a topgal- 
lant sail has to be clewed up and furled, the 
men leave whatever work they are engaged 
upon at the time, and at once proceed to 
execute the orders received from the officer of 
the watch. In bad weather, of course, no work 



COOKERY AT SEA. 41 

ia carried on, the crew's whole attention being 
occupied in watching the orders for setting 
or taking in sail, trimming the yards, &c. ; be- 
sides the impossibility of working at any fixed 
job when big seas are sweeping the decks. At 
4 o'clock (eight bells) the port watch are called, 
and directly the wheel is relieved we go below. 
I used generally then to have a smoke and a 
read, either in my bunk or on the forecastle- 
head, according to the weather, until 5 o'clock 
(two bells), tea-time. A pint of so-called tea 
and junk, or salt pork, formed this meal. But 
we used frequently to make dishes more palat- 
able out of the pork or beef. I always enjoyed 
the mixture called " scouse," which is made by 
chopping up some meat in a " kid," mixing this 
with powdered biscuit, water, and " slush " 
(grease from off the salt meat), then baking the 
lot in the oven for a couple of hours. Another 
favourite dish with sailors is " dandy-funk." 
This is made with powdered biscuit, molasses, 
water, and slush. " Dogsbody" is made with pea- 
soup, powdered biscuit, and slush, and is a very 
favourite dish, on account of the little trouble 



42 TITO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

it gives compared with the others. If the 
weather was fine, we usually took our tea on 
the forecastle-head. 

At 6 o'clock (four bells) the other watch 
come below again, and have their tea. From 
4 to 6 P.M., and 6 to 8 p.m., no regular work is 
done, these hours forming the first and second 
dog-watches respectively. No play is allowed 
to the watch on deck from 4 to 6 p.m. — not even 
after 5 o'clock, when the decks are cleared up 
and swept ; but from 6 to 8 P.M. skylarking of 
the roughest description is freely allowed by 
the captain. Some would play at cards, others 
sing, spin yarns, or read books. We had great 
fun sometimes with the cook, which consisted 
in endeavouring to turn him out of his galley, 
he meanwhile defending himself with scalding 
water. A rat-hunt was in high favour at this 
time of day, as we then madly chased him 
along the deck under the spars, each one being 
armed with a belaying-pin ; but the cook was 
always leader, as, with his can of scalding water, 
he repeatedly drove him out from a place of 
retreat. Eight bells are struck (8 o'clock), and 
with it suddenly cease the boisterous shouts. 



THE WATCHES. 43 

Our watch now go below to sleep. The others 
sit on the forecastle-head, or walk the deck in 
couples, smoking or talking, whilst a few lie down 
for a short nap. No singing or loud laughing is 
now to be heard. The man on the " look-out " 
walks the forecastle-head with measured tread ; 
the cook puts his galley square and locks the 
doors, and all hands become aware that the 
sea-night has begun. The captain generally 
had a quiet conversation with the officer of the 
watch for an hour or a couple of hours, and 
retired to his cabin about 9.30 or 10 o'clock. 
At midnight we relieve the port watch. When 
relieving the night watches, all hands have to 
muster aft on the quarter-deck; the mate in 
charge then sings out, " Eelieve the ' wheel' and 
1 look-out/ " and the watch go below. In fine 
weather, as in the tropics, for instance, these 
four hours invariably pass quickly, no doubt 
because every one turns out sleepy, and con- 
tinues to remain in that state more or less 
until turning in again. It would be impossible 
to overrate the melancholy beauty of the sea 
during a "middle watch" in the tropics, and it 
is considerably enhanced by the half-dreamy 



44 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

state one is in. The soft breeze just filling the 
sails, the gentle and hardly perceptible motion 
of the vessel, as it is quietly ushered along over 
the varying waves— everything seems to har- 
monise with the condition of those aboard. At 
4 o'clock we go below, relieved again by the 
port watch. The cook, who turns in every 
night at 8 o'clock, is called at 4 o'clock, the 
steward at 5 o'clock : the former at once lights 
the galley-fire to prepare the men's coffee for 
half -past five ; the latter takes his pot forward, 
waiting for hot water for the mate's coffee. 
From half-past 5 to 6 the men have their 
coffee and a smoke before turning to, which 
time in fine weather is duly announced by the 
order of "Brooms and buckets aft," for the 
purpose of washing decks. Two hands draw 
water, the boys pass the water along to the 
mate, who heaves it along the deck whilst the 
rest are employed sweeping and scrubbing. At 
seven bells — viz., twenty minutes past 7 o'clock, 
the watch below are called to get their breakfast 
before relieving those on deck at 8 o'clock. 
The captain used generally to come on deck 
about 6 A.M., have a look at 11 ie compass, then 



TEE CAPTAIN AND HIS DUTIES. 45 

the sails, and would then fetch a book from his 
cabin and read, sitting in his favourite arm- 
chair on the poop. 

I have now concluded the description of the 
daily routine in fine weather; but of course 
things are much altered in bad weather. On 
Saturday afternoons, two hours (viz., from 10 to 
12 to one watch, and 12 to 2 to the other) are 
given for washing clothes ; and at 4.30 or 5 
o'clock the stores for the week are served out — 
that is to say, one pound of sugar per man (less 
two oz. deducted for lime-juice), and half a pint 
of vinegar — one man from each watch collect- 
ing the week's rations for his mess. 

The captain has supreme authority aboard: 
even to regulating the hours of work and rest. 
His word is law : to refuse obedience is mutiny. 
He can order a man to be put in irons at any 
moment of the day or night. Yet, notwith- 
standing this power, it is very seldom that 
events demand its enforcement — English sea- 
men being as law-abiding as their compatriots 
ashore. And if of late the public has been 
startled by two fearful mutinies, following close 
one on the other, in British ships, it is no small 



46 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

consolation to know that in the one case the 
crew were all foreigners, and that in the other 
the English portion of "the crew not only re- 
fused to join the mutineers in their murderous 
deeds, but in time overpowered them, and suc- 
ceeded in bringing the vessel home to a British 
port. In justice to one or two nations, it is but 
fair that I should state that the foreigners in 
question were the lowest of foreign seamen-^ 
namely, Turks, Greeks, Italians, and Spaniards. 
These unfortunate sailors not only seem to en- 
tirely lack all sense of honour and justice, but 
are utterly wanting in the true estimation of 
that brightest of jewels, "British fair-play." 
Most foreign seamen use their knives where 
Englishmen would use their fists, a cowardly 
practice that cannot be sufficiently condemned. 
The sole command in the navigation and 
working of the ship rests with the captain. 
When he is on deck, the weather side of 
the poop belongs solely to him; the officer 
of the watch steps over on the lee side. He 
instructs him as to the course, and gives 
him the general directions, and at the end of 
each watch he marks on a slate the distance 



DUTIES OF THE MATES. 47 

run and the course made. The officer of the 
watch is free, by his own judgment, to take in 
royals or topgallant sails, but nothing beyond. 
In reefing topsails or furling a course the author- 
ity comes from the captain alone. In wearing, 
tacking, and in other "all hands" work, the 
captain commands aft, the chief mate super- 
intends forward, and the second mate in the 
waist. In the ordinary daily work the captain 
does not superintend personally, but instructs 
the chief mate, who sees that the work is carried 
on properly. If the captain should find fault 
with the way any man may be doing his work, 
he never addresses him personally, but through 
the officer of the watch. 

The chief mate is the superintending officer, 
and is known aboard ship as " the mate " par 
excellence. His duties are very important. In 
taking in cargo he must give an acknowledg- 
ment, called the " mate's receipt," for all goodi 
stowed in the hold, and for deficiencies in these, 
he is answerable. When the ship is in port, the 
chief mate commands much more than at sea, the. 
captain being the greater part of the time away 
ashore seeing merchants, shippers, &c. Before* 



48 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

leaving the ship in the morning he mentions to 
the mate the work he would like carried on dur- 
ing the day, who superintends its execution. At 
sea or in port he never goes aloft, neither does 
he put his hand to any work, excepting when 
he chooses to give a haul on a rope. In wash- 
ing the decks, and otherwise cleaning the ship, 
which is the first job in the morning, each mate, 
when at sea, takes charge of it in his watch 
respectively, as they alternately have the morn- 
ing watch (4 to 8 o'clock); but in port the 
second mate alone oversees the washing down, 
heaving the water along the deck himself. 
It is the chief mate's duty to keep the "log- 
book" — an exceedingly responsible trust. At 
the end of each watch the officer enters upon 
the "log-slate," usually placed in the chief 
mate's berth, the courses, distance run, winds, 
and any particular matter of interest. From 
this slate, every twenty-four hours, the chief 
mate copies into the "official log-book," after 
submitting it to the captain, who seldom makes 
an alteration. 

A tale is told of a Yankee mate who one 
day caught a shark, which had the good fortune 



DUTIES OF THE MATES. 49 

to slip off the hook while being hauled on deck, 
and effected its escape. He entered in his "log," 
" Caught a shark and lost it ; " determined that 
though the monster of the deep might weather 
the hook, it should not escape his log. 

The mates are always addressed by the cap- 
tain and crew With " Mr " prefixed to the sur- 
name, and are answered with " Sir ;" an omission 
in doing so would, if intentional, be against the 
rules of the service, and would lead to diffi- 
culties. 

It is commonly said at sea that a man still 
keeps his tarry hands by becoming second mate ; 
but in reality this saying applies more to former 
days, when he was often picked out from the 
crew by the captain, and expected to do about 
the same work. Now, although he lends a hand 
here and there at some little job, yet he would 
not dip his hands in a tar-pot, unless specially 
ordered to do so by the captain or chief mate ; 
showing that although his duty, as well as any 
other, the practice has died out. In furling a 
sail the second mate goes aloft with the watch 
to the courses and topsails, but no higher. His 
proper place, as leading man, is the " bunt " in 



60 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

furling, and the weather earing in reefing, but 
he is not entitled to either by virtue of his 
office; and if a seaman shows greater strength 
or skill, it is no breach of discipline for him to 
take them from the second mate. He usually 
has charge of all the boating in the harbour, 
such as taking the captain ashore, or fetching 
things off; or at sea, where a boat is lowered, 
in boarding another ship. 

The third mate commands no watch, but 
assists the chief mate in his. Like the chief 
and second mates, he takes no wheel, and, be- 
sides going aloft to a topsail, he will lend a 
hand to a topgallant sail or jib. He has charge 
of the stores, which would otherwise devolve 
upon the second mate, and sees that they are 
properly served out. In some ships, however, 
the steward controls the provisions of the ship. 

The average allowance in merchant-ships to 
each man or boy is 1J lb. of beef, or 1 J lb. of 
pork, besides about f lb. of flour with the beef, 
and a full supply of pea-soup with the latter. 
The quantity is sufficient; it is the quality that 
lacks. Three quarts of water are also allowed 
to each man per day. But ships vary a great 



DISPENSING STORES. 51 

deal as much in the quality as the quantity of 
food they serve out. This depends upon the 
class of owners, the captain, steward, and even 
cook. Some ships regularly provide pickles or 
butter; others preserved vegetables and tinned 
meats twice a-week ; whilst a few do not even 
allow tinned meat on Sundays. But taken in the 
aggregate, sailors' food is miserably bad. The 
flour is alv/ays more or less musty and sour, 
and even sometimes so full of weevil 5 as to have 
quite a grey colour. 

A certain ship's crew had not enough to eat, 
at which they grew intensely dissatisfied ; and 
well they might, for, as the yarn goes, they had 
only three sweet-potatoes and a smell of putrid 
junk each per day. At last they went aft in 
a body and complained to the captain of the 
steward's meanness, who, having patiently lis- 
tened to their protest of hunger, said to the 
steward, in a passionate fit of generosity, " Give 
'em another half-' spud ' and burst 'em." 

The office of third mate is generally an 
unpleasant one ; dispensing the stores is alone 
sufficient to make it so — the men always 
growling at the quantity as well as the qual- 



52 TWO YEARS ABAFT TEE MAST. 

ity. He works about deck the same as the 
other seamen. If he is smart at his work 
the mate gives him some fancy job on the 
rigging or elsewhere; indeed it is necessary 
that he should be, as he is supposed to be 
the leader of the watch ; and for this reason, as 
much as his comparative youth, some men show 
a jealous feeling. Besides, the third mate is 
usually berthed forward with the apprentices, 
with whom he messes. As the men come into 
the house and smoke and yarn when they 
choose, whether the third mate is there or not, 
he, for the sake of keeping on good terms, is 
obliged to be to some extent familiar, but yet, 
to keep in favour with the mates and captain 
aft, must "-keep up his position, ,, so that he is 
rather delicately placed. It is the third mate's 
duty to walk the poop, or otherwise look after 
the ship's safety, while the officer of the watch 
is below getting his meals. 

A boatswain is, as a rule, only carried in large 
ships. His sole duty is to look after the rigging, 
taking charge of everything that concerns it, such 
as blocks, clip -hooks, paints, marline -spikes, 
serving -mallets, &c, &c., besides ratlin -stuff, 



TEE CARPENTER. 53 

small ropes, sennit, foxes, spun-yarn, and spare 
chafing-gear. He remains on deck all day, and 
turns in all night ; but, like the carpenter, cook, 
and steward, is liable to be called on deck when- 
ever all hands are required. He takes no wheel 
nor look-out. 

The carpenter is the most independent man 
in the ship. ."No one has authority over him 
but the captain, the mates giving him no orders 
whatever ; he familiarly goes by the name of 
"chips." From about half-past 6 till 5 are 
supposed to be his hours, during which hours 
he .can " take it easy " if he feels so disposed. 
People unacquainted with the sea are apt to 
believe that sailors have but little to do on the 
briny deep, and the carpenter still less. They 
would be a little surprised if they saw the 
quantity of chips and shavings daily blowing 
about the deck, and heard the continual sawing, 
knocking, and planing. Many a time, in sweep- 
ing the decks of an evening, have I wished the 
carpenter anything but a long and happy life, 
as the wind scattered his shavings and saw- 
dust right and left, in bold defiance of my re- 
peated attempts at sweeping them along. I 



54 TWO YEARS ABAFT TEE MAST. 

have wondered where he gets all his work from, 
but he is certainly always busy. A part of the 
house is usually allotted to him as his workshop. 
The carpenter, like the third mate, is sometimes 
berthed forward and sometimes aft, in which 
case he would either live with the apprentices 
in the deck-house, or else with the steward aft, 
as ours did ; either way, he does not mess aft in 
the cabin, but with us. Our " chips," however, 
was allowed by the captain to carry his grub to 
the steward's berth, where he ate it alone ; con- 
sequently he lived entirely aft. He has charge 
of the pumps, the windlass, the donkey-engine, 
if there is one, and, besides looking after the 
hull and fittings on deck, is answerable for the 
condition of the masts and yards. 

A sailmaker is not carried in every vessel, 
but when he is, he also is a sort of independent 
man. The reason that a sailmaker is not always 
shipped is, that most able seamen are fully cap- 
able of performing the work. Sailmaking and 
mending afford constant employment through- 
out a voyage to at least two men in an average- 
size ship. They usually work on the poop, 
where the deck stands less chance of getting 



THE STEWARD. 55 

wetted. When a sailniaker is carried^ he lives 
with the boatswain in. a berth partitioned off 
from the forecastle. 

The steward, who is known as the " flunkey," 
is generally looked down upon by the forecastle 
hands on account of his many menial and effem- 
inate duties, which are particularly noticeable 
if the captain has his wife aboard. Although 
the pay is higher than for an A.B., it is but 
very seldom that a seaman will take the billet, 
notwithstanding the many luxuries this post 
offers. He has not the same objection to be- 
coming cook. The steward takes charge of 
all the stores for the cabin, excepting those 
of a bulky nature which cannot be stowed in 
the pantry. He is, properly speaking, the cap- 
tain's servant. His position towards the chief 
mate is somewhat undefined ; but, at any rate, 
although he waits upon him when at table, 
and brings him his tea at 6 o'clock, the 
chief mate would never think of ordering him 
to do anything, especially as, living so near 
together — either adjoining or facing — they are 
much on a common footing when he is off duty. 
In working ship the steward attends the main 



56 TWO YEAHS ABAFT THE MAST. 

sheet, just as the cook attends the fore ; never- 
theless there is sometimes a sad difficulty in 
getting either to lend a hand, as they ingeni- 
ously contrive at that moment to be unusually 
busy about something or other. Whenever the 
steward, cook, carpenter, or sailmaker are en- 
gaged with the hands reefing, furling, or work- 
ing ship, they must obey the mate's commands 
the same as the seamen. 

The cook, who readily answers to the name 
of " slushy " or " doctor," generally lives in 
the forecastle. He turns out at 4 A.M., as the 
morning watch comes on deck, and goes be- 
low at 8 P.M. The galley is situated in the 
house, and all the ship's provisions are cooked 
there. In it the cook exercises the most auto- 
cratic authority ; many will allow no one inside 
but the steward, to whom he is bound to give 
way. A good cook is at once somebody aboard; 
a bad one would be glad to be considered no- 
body. Poor " doctor " not unfrequently comes 
in for a "sailor's blessing" (a growl) rather 
unjustly, on matters concerning the quality of 
the food, with which, of course, he has nothing 
to do. Nevertheless it behoves one not to be 



THE "DOCTOR" OR COOK. 57 

too hasty in making complaint, as he has several 
ways of paying the fellows out. The law is 
satisfied with ruder cooking and dishing-up 
than Jack is, He is required to be scrupulously 
clean, and in well-regulated ships, after the 
decks are washed down, he must place his 
" kids " and pans in a line on deck for the 
inspection of the officer of the watch. He is 
occasionally asked to lend a hand to the 
watch when necessary. Manning the halyards 
in setting a topgallant sail, the officer of the 
watch will go to the galley-door: "Now, then, 
doctor, put a few pounds of beef on this rope ! " 
This is brought out more in the form of -a re- 
quest, as the cook is not bound legally to do 
ship's work unless he also ships as able sea- 
man. Our coloured doctor, Millington, could 
never make the seven days' rations of tea or 
coffee last more than six ; but this difficulty 
he cleverly surmounted by boiling their re- 
spective bags on the last day, the difference of 
flavour not being perceptible. If "chummy" 
with the steward, the latter brings him for'ard 
every evening in the " dog-basket " such snacks 
and scraps as have come off the cabin table. 



M TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

The doctor occupies the best bunk in the 
forecastle; indeed he frequently shares with 
the boatswain a berth to himself, and so gives 
proof of his higher social standing. By the 
side is his chest, on which, after the day's work 
is over at 8 o'clock, he indulges in a lounge, 
clay pipe in mouth, entertaining the watch 
below with some interesting yarn. Everybody 
listens and laughs, or laughs without listening, 
until the men turn in, and by their snoring stop 
his yarn. Cooks like to dress as much unlike 
sailors as possible. Our West India Millington, 
notwithstanding his black shiny face, culti- 
vated a trim moustache and a bushy pair of 
whiskers worthy of a military officer; and in 
his dandy trousers, black frock-coat, tall well- 
brushed hat and patent-leather boots, veritably 
appeared a perfect swell, disdaining to mention 
anything connected with his seafaring culinary 
profession. The marvel is how he can boil, 
roast, or fry the crew's meals with the scanty 
utensils and cramped room at his command. 
A land cook would literally go out of his mind 
at the sight of the place, even when in dock, 
with the appliances in good order, and the ship 



THE "DOC TOE" OH COOK. 59 

steady, let alone when the ship is pitching and 
rolling, sending every article spinning and slid- 
ing with a confused sense of their respective 
equilibrium,, and when the draught, with a 
persistence only too British, obstinately refuses 
to blow any other way but down the funnel. 
The doctor is a suspicious customer — he is 
bound to be such. Having the cooking of 
the cabin meals, and consequently a tolerable 
quantity of " small stores " about, he has ever 
to be on the look-out against the hungry and 
not too particular wolves prowling along the 
deck. A little packet of black pepper, a dash 
of mustard at the bottom of a bottle, or the 
remains of a full pickle-bottle, vanish in the 
most unaccountable way, much to the doctor's 
vexation, who "knowed it was one of dem 
fellers," but who is puzzled to pick out the 
particular culprit. The apprentices are bigger 
sinners than the men ; one is generally ready to 
go into the galley at one door as the doctor makes 
his exit by the other, whether it be in search of 
water or stores. So he keeps the galley jeal- 
ously closed against all, excepting a favoured 
two or three, who return his trusting friendship 



60 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

with the most flagrant ingratitude. But sailors 
are proverbially hungry, and the stomach is a 
powerful foe to contend with. Outside the 
galley-door in fine weather, in the morning, 
may be seen the doctor sitting on a bucket, 
peeling the English "spuds" for the cabin 
dinner, with his inevitable black clay pipe 
(he is lord of his galley, and can smoke when- 
ever he chooses), looking round for some one to 
talk to. At 6 o'clock, during the second dog- 
watch, he takes his well-sweetened tea -and 
dainties, consisting of remains from the cap- 
tain's table, on to the fore hatch, laughing and 
joking with his brother salts. It is painful to 
one's self, on a dark stormy night, to see him 
put out his light and lock his doors at 8 o'clock, 
and hurry to the forecastle to turn in, to remain 
undisturbed by wind or weather all night. 
Then it is that he is looked up to as quite a 
superior person, above the laws of ship routina 
He generally has little to do in the afternoon, 
and occupies the time in reading or mending 
clothes ; but as Captain Ferguson indulged in 
late dinners, poor Millington had his hands 
pretty full all day ; and it was terrible to hear 



CLASSES OF SEAMEN. 61 

him curse at his trampled rights by day, and 
comical in the extreme to hear him regularly 
disown his daily oaths, when reading the Bible 
in his bunk of a night. 

An ordinary ship's crew may be divided into 
three classes: able seamen, ordinary seamen, 
and boys, which latter term signifies any sea- 
faring novice, irrespective of age or size. Each 
man, when he ships, rates himself, influenced 
by nothing but his own conscience, or rather 
reason. And yet with all this freedom it is a 
rarity for any to take advantage of the licence 
by fraudulently shipping a higher rate for high- 
er pay. It should also be said, that if found 
out after clearing out from port — and they are 
certain to be so — they find no sympathy fore or 
aft. It is not only deceiving the captain and 
officers, but also, and even more so, the men, 
who find their number, already small enough, 
reduced by one, and further burdened with his 
share of work. So well are the consequences 
understood, that sailors prefer underrating them- 
selves, rather than stand the risk of incurring 
them. 

As regards captains and mates, they are 



62 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

obliged to pass a government examination, and 
are granted certificates of competency if suc- 
cessful. A second mate, apart from his profes- 
sional knowledge, must have been four years at 
sea before he is entitled to go up ; a chief mate 
five years ; and a captain six years. The ex- 
amination consists of navigation proper, and 
seamanship : for the latter a model ship is used, 
on which the would-be officer executes what- 
ever is required of him by the examiner. He 
sends down or crosses royal and topgallant 
yards, braces the yards up on the port or star- 
board tack, heaves-to or tacks ship. After be- 
coming master it is still possible to obtain a 
higher rank, — extra-master if possessed of high- 
er qualifications : but this degree is not habitu- 
ally sought after. 

But with the common sailor nothing of the 
sort takes place; in fact it would be imprac- 
ticable. Formerly, a sailor in want of a ship 
came to the docks, where he made his choice, 
much to the advantage of both himself and the 
captain. Now, he is required to present himself 
at the Mercantile Marine Shipping Office, where 
he joins a ship that lies half a mile, perhaps 



THE ADVANCE SYSTEM. 63 

three miles off, and which he has never seen 
A captain comes down with his chief officei 
They select their number of men from amongst 
the crowd standing outside the office, who are 
then brought before the shipping-master, by 
whose side the captain takes a seat, while the 
"articles" are read to the crew "in a loud 
voice," which they are afterwards compelled to 
sign, giving at the same time their name, resi- 
dence, and place of birth. Coloured seamen, 
maybe a shade darker than ebony, have a noted 
partiality for Edinburgh as a birthplace. If, 
just before the articles are read, another man is 
wanting, the chief mate will go to the doorway. 
"Now, lads, an A.B. (or ordinary seaman) 
wanted for a New Zealand voyage ; easy ship ! " 
which call is generally answered. 

It is customary to sign articles for a voyage 
out and home not exceeding three years. When 
signing his name, he is asked whether he wishes 
for anjr advance, to which he replies in the affir- 
mative, and gets one month's wages in the shape 
of an " advance-note " representing value only 
after the ship has sailed ; but which he gets dis- 
counted at usurious rates. If joining a ship 



64 TITO YEARS ABAFT TEE MAST. 

through the Shipping Office breeds ultimate dis- 
satisfaction aboard, the advance-note system is 
answerable for half the casualties and crimes 
leaving the docks prior to sailing. Thanks to 
it, whole crews are carried aboard dead drunk, 
who show their first signs of life by rioting, and 
sometimes mutiny.* As for the plea that a 
sailor requires his advance-note to buy clothing 
with, it is a fallacy. A respectable seaman, 
when paid off from a voyage of average dura- 
tion, has more than enough not only to renew 
his outfit, but to spend a few comfortable weeks 
ashore. Besides this, some put by regularly 
their savings, of which a tidy balance very often 
remains* after settling for the above. One of our 
A.B.'s, Phillips, a little coloured seaman, had 
thus accumulated £60 in the London Savings 
Bank. An able seaman must be equal to any 
ordinary emergency aboard ship. He is ex- 
pected to be able to hand, reef, and steer, and 
do work upon the rigging neatly. By the term, 
" a good seaman," sailors mean a smart hand at 
working on the rigging. 

* But— 

" There's a sweet little cherub that sits up aloft, 
To keep watch for the life 01 ' drunk ' Jack." 



MEN-OF-WAR S MEN. 65 

There is a vast difference between the mer- 
chant sailor and his fellow "salt," the man-o'- 
war's man, whom they call "'Johnny Haultaut" 
or " John o' Eight." They hold each other in 
mutual derision, although without any un- 
friendly feeling. At one time the Eoyal Navy 
was manned exclusively from the merchant 
service; but the supply not keeping pace with 
the demand — lessening every year — the navy 
took to providing its own men, by entering 
them, when boys, in training-ships, and so 
rearing them up. To meet the requirements 
of the service, three thousand lads are wanted 
annually. Very few men now volunteer from 
the merchant service. Accustomed to the com- 
parative independence and free life of a mer- 
chant vessel, they look with scorn on the bind- 
ing discipline and severe penalties of a man-o'- 
war. Merchant Jack laughs with contempt as 
he watches their crew in uniform dress, walk- 
ing round the windlass, weighing anchor like 
mechanical dummies. No hearty "chanties" 
there — no fine chorus ringing with feeling and 
sentiment, brought out with a sort of despairing 
wildness, which so often strikes neighbouring 



66 TWO YEARS ABAFT TEE MAST. 

landsfolk with the deepest emotion. He likes 
to growl — and he may, so long as he goes about 
his work. I have heard mates say — Give me 
a man that can growl : the more he growls, the 
more he works. Silence reigns supreme aboard 
a Queen's ship; no general order is given by 
word of mouth — the boatswain's whistle takes 
its place. 

It should be understood that the merchant 
sailor holds his liberty at some considerable 
sacrifice. As a rule, he is worse fed and lodged 
than an average dog. A shipwreck is a rarity 
in the navy, but of daily occurrence in the 
merchant service. If he survives in the former, 
the Government allows him the greater part of 
the value of his lost chest and clothing ; in the 
latter, he loses all that goes down in the ship. 
The State also allows her seamen many other 
advantages. 

Since the introduction of steam, there has 
been a large proportion of foreigners in the 
English merchant service — mostly Germans, 
Swedes, Dutchmen, and Eussian Fins. All 
foreigners are called " Dutchmen" at sea. How- 
ever, those who sail out of England on long 



A. ROMJL VISIT. 67 

Voyages, have mostly been so long in our ser- 
vice, that practically they are Englishmen, 
knowing our "chanties" and sea-rules better 
than their own. People wonder why so many 
seamen never return to their native parts to 
revisit their relations. The reason is simple 
enough in many instances : captains will not 
ship a man who hails from the port to which 
the ship is bound, because he is pretty sure 
to run away when he gets there. Phillips, 
our little negro seaman before mentioned, once 
told me that, after being absent from his native 
place — St Vincent, West Indies — for fifteen 
years, he succeeded by some stratagem in ship- 
ping aboard a schooner bound there. At last, 
after a lengthened passage, they arrived, but 
came to anchor at a distance from the shore, 
where they discharged cargo in boats. The 
captain, who suspected his intention, kept a 
keen watch over him ; but nevertheless he was 
able to send a message ashore to his father and 
mother, both of whom, he was informed, were 
still living, although a little way up the country. 
They had don } discharging, had finished load- 
ing and were weighing anchor, when a boa* 4 



68 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

hauled alongside, containing his father, mother, 
and friends. They remained with him until the 
land was nearly lost sight of, when they returned 
to their "boat and sailed hack. Ten years had 
since elapsed without his returning, and he 
supposed he never should again. 

Ordinary seamen are those who have not the 
experience qualifying them as A.B. The third 
of a crew is generally formed of ordinary sea- 
men. They are expected to hand, reef, and 
steer, and do small repairs on the rigging. The 
ordinary seamen in each watch take turn about 
in fetching the food from the galley to the fore- 
castle, washing up the plates, returning the kid, 
and cleaning out the forecastle; they also help the 
apprentices to sweep up the decks of an evening. 

I now come to that part of a ship's crew to 
which I belonged, and which is more closely 
connected with the contents of these pages — 
the apprentices. Since the repeal of the Act of 
Parliament compelling regular apprenticeship, 
an idea prevails ashore that they are no more 
carried. This is a mistake. Almost all " blue- 
water " ships carry them, but drawn from a dif- 
ferent class to that which furnished them before 



THE APPRENTICES. 69 

the repeal of the Act. Formerly, apprenticeship 
was forced upon all lads going to sea indiscrim- 
inately, varying from a term of five to seven 
years; now, the "privilege" is reserved for 
those whose parents can afford a premium 
ranging from thirty guineas to sixty guineas, 
and even more, for a term of four years. The 
whole thing is a farce. The only advantage — 
if so it can be called — gained, is living apart 
from the crew. Directly he steps aboard his 
ship, he is a "boy," no matter what his age 
may be, for four years, and he must do " boy's " 
work — an unhappy disappointment to many a 
genteel youth fresh from the outfitter's, in hi? 
dark-blue suit and gilt buttons, not forgetting 
the badge on the cap, " brass bound and copper- 
fastened," as sailors say. Of course this lion's 
skin is soon " doused " and packed away in his 
chest, being replaced by those articles for which 
he was the least thankful at the outfitter's— a 
coarse woollen singlet, ditto shirt, blue serge 
pants and "jumper," and Scotch cap. His 
first job is invariably to sweep up the mud on 
deck and shovel it overboard. An exception, 
however, should be made as regards Green's' 



70 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

service, once the finest line sailing out of Eng- 
laDd. I j this line the premium is the highest, 
being £60 the first year, additional payments 
for the other three years, and £10 per voyage 
in ess-money. Green's ships are frigate-built, 
and so well manned and found that many 
shippers and passengers give them the prefer- 
ence over the more modern sharp clippers, and 
even steamers. They now trade to Australia 
and China only, their East India trade having 
been destroyed by the number of steamers. 
The youths live aft, and are not required to do 
any menial work ; they must, however, lend a 
hand at reefing, furling, loosing sail, and haul- 
ing on the ropes. 

Some of the Scotch lines take apprentices 
(Scotch) without any premium. Whether with 
premium or not, it makes no difference in the 
treatment of the lad — all the most menial duties 
fall to him. If living with the third mate o>' 
carpenter, they stand a better chance of fan 
play ; but if living alone, as they sometimes do 
they are apt to be cheated out of their full 
allowance of grub. No third mate or steward 
would venture to try this game with a foremast 



DUTIES OF THE APPRENTICES. 71 

man, because he has the forecastle at his back. 
But the apprentices have neither that sympathy 
nor the mate's; each side suspects them of 
carrying yarns to the other. The men bear 
them a jealous feeling because of their habitual 
privilege of going aft when they choose during 
their watch below; and they are sure of a 
"work-up job/' should the mates see them 
coming out of the forecastle. One of the 
apprentices' duties is furling the royals and the 
light staysails. Should an ordinary seaman 
happen to be nearer the weather rigging after 
hauling up the clews, he would very likely 
make the first move, although not strictly his 
duty when boys are at hand. If a man or boy 
is noticed to " hang back " in going aloft, he is 
very soon reproached with his laziness. The 
first time I was sent up to furl the mizzen- 
royal, one evening during the second dog- 
watch, I felt rather shaky. I had never been 
higher than the cross-trees before; and when 
at last I reached the "Jacob's ladder," and 
climbed it, swinging from side to side as the 
ship rolled, I thought I should have dropped 
with giddiness. I dreaded looking down or 



72 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

looking up; and as I knew the captain was 
watching me from the deck, I was all the more 
nervous. Beaching the yard, I cast adrift the 
weather gasket from the tie, and laying out a 
bit, took three or four turns with it round the 
weather yard-arm, and having done the same 
to leeward, commenced hauling up the bunt — 
a little operation that occupied nearly half an 
hour. What with slipping on the foot-rope and 
missing my footing, clutching at this and hang- 
ing on to that, I felt greatly relieved when I 
got on deck again. 

Apprentices also have to clean all the lamps 
aboard, and trim them every day: the side- 
lights (when used) being a particularly dirty 
job. It is common when a young apprentice in 
brass buttons sallies through " sailor town," for 
scornful " shellbacks " to sing out at him, " Light 
the binnacle ! " because of his always being 
called on at sea to trim that most necessary of 
all lights at night ; excepting when there is only 
one apprentice in each watch, and he happens 
to be at the wheel, then an ordinary seaman 
has to do it. The steward generally provides a 
box of matches once a fortnight to the junior 



TEE BOYS. 73 

apprentice in each watch for this purpose ; but 
as matches are valuable at sea, he appropriates 
the larger portion to his own purposes, making 
the remainder spin out as best he can, by split- 
ting them, and lighting from the house lamp 
when possible. No distinction is made aboard 
ship between an apprentice and a forecastle boy: 
their duties are identical, and their food the 
same- — the latter would learn his profession 
quicker, being continually with the men. The 
only difficulty with a lad who first goes to sea 
in a forecastle, is his getting out of it. Although 
perhaps with a good education, if not very 
steady, he finds his ambition of rising, by the 
influence of his shipmates, soon die out. 



74 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 



€HAPTEE nL 

SYDNEY. 

On the 1st February we boarded the Prince 
Charlie for more coals, as we were again un- 
accountably short. It was a lovely day, with 
only enough wind to fill the sails ; but towards 
evening a strong breeze sprang up, and at 8 
o'clock things looked so threatening that all 
hands were called to shorten sail. No cry is 
more abhorred than that of " all hands," espe- 
cially at night. Turning out of a warm bunk 
from a sound sleep, getting sea-boots on, hasten- 
ing on deck where all is hurry and confusion, 
scrambling up aloft with the roar of the wind 
and rain through the rigging, the shouts of the 
men, the flapping of the sails as the halyards 
and sheets are let po, and the drenching spray; 



HOLYSTONING THE DECKS. 75 

all this can only be realised by a sailor. The 
weather was very variable — sometimes a calm, 
at others blowing a gale (which is called here 
a " southerly buster "), accompanied by a dense 
fog. Very little work can be done in these seas 
— viz., the Southern Ocean — on account of the 
unsettled state of the weather. There is one 
job, though, that sailors seldom fail to get when 
nothing else can be done, and that is." holyston- 
ing " decks. It is for the purpose of removing 
the greyish-white colour of the decks, caused 
by salt-water deposits. However, it does not do 
to repeat the operation too often, as it makes 
the ?rood very porous. The men have to kneel 
down, and push backwards and forwards a good- 
sized stone (usually sandstone), the planks being 
previously wetted and sprinkled with sand. 
From the fact of kneeling to it, this unpleasant 
task Is known at sea under the title of " saying 
prayers." Refractory crews generally have this 
ordered them as a "work-up job." 

Monday, 10th February, we experienced a 
strong gale from the N.W., and a heavy sea soon 
sprang up, sweeping at intervals across the main- 
deck with great force. In this kind of weather 



76 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

" life lines " are stretched fore and aft, otherwise 
the men could never walk the decks. A dog 
in his kennel might well be envied when one's 
clothes are all dripping wet, and the food only- 
half cooked, because of the seas putting the 
galley-fire out. Clothes cannot be washed, and 
but barely mended. Oilskins are of no account 
when a ship rolls heavy seas over her ; indeed 
a downpour of rain alone is sufficient, with a 
great many suits, to wet them through and 
through — such wretched material do they sup- 
ply to poor Jack. The same may be said with 
regard to "sea-boots," for sea-boots they un- 
doubtedly are, inasmuch as many act in the 
water much after the fashion of a sponge. 

The first Australian sea-birds were sighted on 
the 9th March, together with the land — viz., 
Cape Otway — and a welcome sight they were to 
us. The next day several brigs and schooners 
hove in view. These parts abound with a 
peculiar fish called barracoutas, of a delicious 
flavour, and so easily caught, that in half an 
hour, with only three lines, enough were taken 
for breakfast for all hands ; and well we enjoyed 
them, after three months of salt beef (other- 



LAND IN SIGHT. 77 

wise salt horse) and rancid pork. The land 
would sometimes be only a few miles off; but 
occasionally it almost faded out of sight, ac- 
cording to the irregularity of the coast. A fine 
steady breeze now favoured us with a speed of 
ten knots or more. We lost sight of land for a 
couple of days, until entering Bass Strait ; with 
the wind still fair, we gradually shaped our 
course up the east coast. Nothing could have 
gone better so far : fine weather, a steady breeze, 
a full moon by night, and everybody in high 
spirits at the prospect of soon getting into Sydney 
harbour; another day's run and we shall be 
lying snugly at anchor, and "all night in." 
However, the wind and then the weather turned 
against us. When off Cape Howe the breeze 
suddenly died away, to our great disappointment; 
and by the time we had reached Cape Jervis 
a dead calm set in. For three long days and 
nights, there we lay, with not a breath of air 
stirring, not so much as a catspaw to trouble 
the glassy surface of the sea. The title of 
" silent as death " might well be applied in such 
a case as this, particularly at night Not the 
faintest sound is to be heard then ; one's own 



78 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST, 

breathing seems painfully loud. The man at 
the wheel can hear the watch below laughing in 
the forecastle, and the footsteps of the " look-out " 
on the forecastle-head. During the day it was 
a busy scene; paint -pots and paint-brushes 
were everywhere, as ships are generally cleaned 
and painted before getting into port ; but this 
undertaking had been delayed hitherto, in our 
case, by the strong winds and consequent sprays. 
Masts, scuppers, bulwarks, panels of the house, 
were all being scrubbed and coated. All hands 
were ordered on deck during the whole of the 
latter two days, for the purpose of finishing 
sooner. Jack can growl when he likes, which 
is pretty often ; but he has a cause for growling 
upon an occasion like this which can hardly be 
denied. The heat was barely short of suffocat- 
ing us ; and considering we were upon an al- 
lowance of one pint of water a-day to each man, 
for drinking, cooking, and washing purposes, it 
cannot be wondered at. A large whale, during 
the morning of the second day, was seen playing 
within thirty yards of the ship, throwing up 
jets of water with a noise similar to that pro- 
duced by blowing through an empty pipe. He 



IN SIGHT OF SYDNET. 70 

continued there about a quarter of an hour, 
when suddenly, diving his head down perpen- 
dicularly, he disappeared. 

Towards evening of the third night the horizon 
gradually vanished behind a thick haze, heavy 
black clouds meanwhile rising overhead: still 
not a breath of wind to fill the sails, which had 
now been hanging helplessly down the masts 
for three days. This mist and threatening sky 
augured well, for they were undoubted signs of 
a change. Towards midnight a heavy thunder- 
storm burst over us with great fury, followed 
by torrents of rain descending perpendicularly, 
there being not a breath of air moving. This 
lasted until five o'clock next morning, when a 
breeze sprang up — first ahead, but subsequently 
a fair wind — which during the afternoon nearly 
died away again, our speed being about five 
knots. 

It was rumoured during the first dog-watch 
that the Sydney Heads Light might very pos- 
sibly be sighted before night ; in tins hope most 
of the hands remained on the forecastle-head 
anxiously looking out. At about seven o'clock 
the long-expected light was seen, mach to our 



80 TWO YEARS ABAFT TEE MAST. 

gratification. At eight bells, the distance could 
not have been more than twenty miles, and 
the watch (starboard) were allowed to go below 
until wanted. Eeed half-pulled me from my 
bunk at four bells, arousing me out of a heavy 
sleep ; he was all excitement, as a large steamer 
would soon pass us, judging from her lights 
ahead. I got on deck just in time to see her 
pass, but I did not think the sight counterbal- 
anced my discomfort in turning out. I again 
rolled into my bunk and soon dropped off asleep. 
At eleven o'clock we were called on deck to 
stand by for orders. The " Heads " now were 
less than a mile off, and their outline stood 
boldly out from the bright moonlit sky. The 
pilot-boat could be seen pulling towards us with 
their light burning ; and the mainyard being 
backed, they were soon alongside. The pilot 
was a thick-set man of medium height, who at 
once ordered the mainyard to be squared. Four 
or five Kanakas (South Sea Islanders) who had 
charge of his boat, lent us a hand at pulling on 
the ropes. We glided slowly along, wafted by 
so little wind that the sails were scarcely filled. 
I was enraptured with the scene : the full moon, 






" 


■ 





;:••;.: 



A CURIOUS BET. 81 

calm sea, and apparently overhanging coast, with 
the surrounding stillness only broken by the 
distant roar of the sea on the beach, quite made 
me wonder whether it was a dream or reality. 
But I did not know then that it was only the 
beginning of a series of enchanting panoramas, 
each surpassing one another in loveliness. 

At midnight exactly, we passed in between 
the Heads, and the royals being clewed up, I 
sprang up to stow the main. A rather curious 
bet had been made between Mr Paxton and Mr 
Crafton six weeks previous to our arrival here, 
as to what would be the date of our arriving at 
Sydney. One side bet it would be before the 
15th March, the other that it would be after. 
We passed the Heads (the entrance to Syd- 
ney harbour) exactly at midnight of the 15th 
of that month ; thus meeting both wagers half- 
way. What happy feelings come over one when 
gliding into port after a long dreary passage of 
several months ! The air is perfumed with the 
odour of forest- wood, the trees and shrubs can 
be seen on the hilly banks by the dim cold 
light of the moon, ever varying in aspect as 
we proceed onwards almost imperceptibly, for 



82 TWO YEARS ABAFT TEE MAST. 

the topgallant-sails and staysails are furled to 
deaden her way for letting go the anchor. The 
carpenter stands by the cat-head with his sledge- 
hammer, and the word being given by the pilot, 
down comes the iron mallet with a long sweep, 
away flies the bolt, and the anchor drops with 
its ponderous weight into the water, dragging 
the cable after it at a furious rate, until the 
required number of fathoms are out, when the 
compressor is put down. Topsails, courses, and 
jibs were then furled ; and by four o'clock, hav- 
ing each had a quarter of a pint of coffee, we 
turned in until morning. 

We were called at eight o'clock to make fast 
to the steam-tug and to heave up the anchor. 
M'Ewan, who had just gone out on deck, 
came speedily below again, calling out to me to 
come and see the wonderful harbour. I went 
outside, and never shall I forget the sight. It 
is said at sea that a sailor is never impressed 
again to the same extent in visiting a foreign 
port as he is when arriving out for the first time. 
That may be ; but nevertheless the harbour of 
Sydney, I believe, is unequalled either for size 
or beauty. The general effect is indescribable, 



SYDNEY HARBOUR, 83 

especially in the morning, as it was then, when 
the sun seems to shine so fresh upon everything. 
Hills of various sizes and gradients surrounded 
us upon all sides, covered with what appeared 
to me thick acacia-trees, the green expanse being 
occasionally broken by a huge black rock pro- 
jecting. In some places the wood had been en- 
tirely removed to make way for a pretty white 
suburban mansion, with a fine lawn and garden 
stretching down to the water's edge. Numerous 
vessels were passing in different directions: 
smart little brigs and schooners bound along 
the coast, steam colliers from Newcastle, N.S. W. ; 
and being Sunday morning, several tidy little 
yachts merrily ploughed along the water, re- 
lieving their lucky owners for the time being 
from the daily toil and worry of business life. 
In the distance could be seen the church steeples 
of Sydney, but with such clear outlines that 
they appeared much nearer than in reality, for 
there is here no true English mist or fog to ob- 
scure the sight and deaden the spirits. 

As soon as the anchor was clear of the bot- 
tom, we proceeded to the anchorage called 
" Pinch Gut," where it was let go again. Boat 



84 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

after boat now boarded us ; some for our wash- 
ing, others as providores, or marine outfitters. 
Then came the doctor and the customs, each in 
their turn inquiring for the captain, who, upon 
such an occasion, is literally required every- 
where at once. The water-boat, meanwhile, 
came alongside, and commenced refilling our 
tanks. At length the post-boat arrived from 
shore with our letters; and what excitement 
and what suspense marked their delivery to their 
respective owners. Those who were fortunate 
enough to receive any sat down in some out-of- 
the-way corner, there to read and think over 
them undisturbed. I received six — viz., three 
from home, one from a friend in Paris, and two 
from city friends. As for some newspapers and 
almanacs which had been sent me — of course I 
never had them. It is a fact, although rather 
hard to believe by people ashore, that Jack, in 
ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, never has his 
newspapers, nor printed matter of any descrip- 
tion (if open) delivered to him. I am told that 
the Colonial P.O. clerks keep them for their own 
reading. Fresh beef and potatoes replaced the 
" salt beef." No one can doubt its salt reality ; 



"OLD HORSE." 85 

but as to its being beef, I certainly do doubt 
that. What it is I would not venture even to 
suggest; at all events, I have heard it pro- 
nounced to be "old horse," "hippopotamus," 
" mahogany- wood," "junk," "compressed rope- 
yarns," besides many other names, which I do 
not call to mind for the moment. During the 
afternoon some of the men amused themselves 
fishing over the side. 

Having read over my letters again for the 
third or fourth time, I took my pipe on the 
forecastle-head to enjoy a quiet smoke. The 
view across the harbour was magnificent, — fairy- 
land itself. To our left could be seen the " Do- 
main " (Sydney's Hyde Park — a perfect Elysium 
of beauty) sloping down to the water, with 
numbers of people passing to and fro under the 
shade of the trees. The general aspect was 
overpowering to my former idea of beauty. We 
lay here two days, during which time we ship- 
ped and rigged out the gangway-ladder, and did 
various other little jobs about deck, such as 
usually present themselves going into port. 
Whilst heaving up anchor prior to the tug towing 
us to the wharf, we had some good " chanties " 



86 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

— for Jack's spirits are at their highest at the 
thoughts of a run ashore. The " chanty " known 
under the name of " The Eio Grande " is par- 
ticularly, pretty, the chorus being : — 

" Heave away, my bonny boys, we are all bound to Rio. 
Ho ! and heigho ! 
Come fare ye well, my pretty young girl, 
For we're bound to the Rio Grande." 

The name of the wharf was Parbury's. 
Directly we got safely moored the hatches 
were unbattened, and the "lumpers" (men 
employed at the loading and unloading of 
ships) set to work. We were visited at break- 
fast in our mess by a half-sfcarved-looking indi- 
vidual in rags, who came begging for some 
biscuit. He said that he had been an ap- 
prentice in the Queen of the Age, a well- 
known liner ; but he ran away to the diggings, 
where he never did any good. For a wonder, 
this day the sky was dull and overcast ; very 
different to the previous day (17th March, St. 
Patrick's Day), when the sunlight was reflected 
by a thousand radiant colours, composing the 
dresses of the many that turned out to celebrate 
the occasion. 



colonial hospitalities. 87 

Having a letter of introduction to some folks 
iiving in Balmain, on the other side of the har- 
bour, I availed myself of it one evening by 
paying them a visit. I was very kindly re- 
ceived, and was told to come again on the Sun- 
day for the purpose of looking over the repairing- 
dock for iron ships, the largest, I was informed, 
in Australia, their son being connected with it. 
The suburb called Balmain is really very pretty. 
Imagine Brixton with its smooth roads and neat 
houses, and the front gardens thickly planted 
with trees and plants both English and tropi- 
cal, large banana-leaves overhanging the road- 
way — and a good idea may then be formed 
of what it is like ; only that Balmain is very 
hilly, affording splendid views of the harbour 
from some of its heights. 

I picked up with a good many apprentices 
from different ships then in port: the Cole- 
roon, Shahpore, Ann Duthie, Duke of Abercorn, 
and joined them in several "larks." I met 
a young solicitor at the parlour of a refresh- 
ment bar in George Street one evening, who 
invited me, together with five others, to dinner 
at his house the following night : the arrange- 



88 TWO YEARS ABAFT TEE MAST. 

ment being, that we were to meet him at seven 
o'clock at the same place. Accordingly we met 
punctual to the time as desired, but the gentle- 
man not turning up, four of the number went 
elsewhere. But a friend and myself resolved 
upon going to his house at all events, as I had 
obtained his address. It was a long walk to Woo- 
loomooloo, but we succeeded at last in finding 
the house. The gentleman had forgotten all about 
his promise, but nevertheless stood us a good 
supper.* After this I visited him several times ; 
for it does not take long, I noticed, to pick up 
Friends in Sydney. 

Sydney is a far more imposing sight when 
viewed from a distance than at close quarters. 
The streets are mostly narrow, and the architec- 
ture of the houses, as a rule, is plain, without 
the least pretension to beauty. They are nearly 
all built of bricks in the usual London style. 
Exception, however, must be made for the new 
post-office, a stately building of stone, with 
red granite pillars, erected in George Street, 
but not then quite completed. There were 
two theatres, the Victoria and the Theatre 
itoyal I witnessed at the former " The Pris- 



a ' lark:' 89 

oner of Love/' its sensational character being 
seemingly well appreciated by a demonstrative 
audience. At the latter place the performance 
consisted of gymnastic feats by intelligent dogs, 
who already knew too well the absurdity of 
their position to execute any of their masters 
commands — and two monkeys, described on the 
programme as tight-rope dancers. They would 
walk with a balancing-pole half-way across, 
then, letting go the pole, to the great enjoyment 
of all but their master, they would continue to 
the end, their hands and feet holding on under 
the rope in their more natural way. This was 
very laughable, and quite out of keeping with 
their showy dress. Between these perform- 
ances several songs were given, one relating 
to a Sydney " trap " (policeman) being loudly 
encored. 

One Saturday night I joined a party of about 
twenty apprentices (alias middies ashore), bent 
upon being jolly. We proceeded to "The 
Queen's Head" in Pitt Street, where drink 
soon circulated pretty freely. Several songs were 
sung ; but in consequence of one of the num- 
ber dancing a double-shuffle on a highly-pol- 



90 TWO YE AILS ABAFT THE MAST. 

ished mahogany table, the landlady bade the 
cheery lot " clear out." At this they arranged 
to go to the " Scandinavian," a music-hall, the 
time being about 12 p.m. The manager very 
politely inquired whether we would favour the 
audience with a song, which we readily agreed 
to ; and, mounting the stage, we achieved a great 
success. Some apparently had got so used to 
the sea-roll, that they signally failed in their 
repeated attempts to stand up on terra firma. 
The Allowing day, Sunday, walking out in the 
afternoon with the same company, a gentleman 
accosted us, and stood us all round a refreshing 
glass of brandy and raspberry. Coming out, 
we were met by another person, also a perfect 
stranger, who, without any advances on our 
side, repeated the liberal act, much to our 
amusement and satisfaction. It should be said 
that both individuals were, nautically speaking, 
" half-seas over," more or less. • I am con- 
vinced that the Sydney people are a queer set. 
Food is amazingly cheap, especially oysters, 
compared with London prices. A large basin 
of stewed oysters, with bread and butter ad 
libitum, may be obtainea for 6d. or 8d. How- 



TEE "DOMAIN." 91 

ever, they are smaller, without any of that 
delicateness of flavour usually associated with 
that size in England. 

Government House stands in the " Domain " 
before alluded to. This park is magnificent as 
much in its site and general laying out as on 
account of the lovely views across the harbour 
on one side, and over Wooloomooloo on the 
other, which can be obtained from the elevated 
positions. But it is at sunset that the scene 
is most beautiful. Turner himself could not 
be more lavish in gorgeous colouring than is 
Nature at this time: the sky, the trees, the 
water, all appear dazzling in gold and red. 
The very birds, insects, and grasshoppers, seem 
to wish to participate in the glorious effect, 
judging by their increasing, hum and noise. 
As the sun slowly vanishes away, the perspec- 
tive becomes blue and purple, the sky settles 
into a bright greenish hue, and the noise and 
flutter : cease, to be replaced by an almost un- 
broken silence, made all the more noticeable by 
its suddenness. The plaintive notes of a dis- 
tant sailor's " chanty " or call alone break upon 
one's ear at intervals j and sweetly pretty they 



92 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

sound, particularly at such a time and place. 
A very favourite evening promenade is the 
" Lover's Walks ; " long and stately avenues of 
trees, affording a delightful spot for a moonlight 
stroll. 

Captains invariably give their crews a day's 
liberty at each port they make any stay at ; and 
I was glad to have a day to myself, as upon 
other occasions we did not "knock off" work 
until half-past five or six o'clock in the even- 
ing. Dressed in my brass buttons and cap with 
badge I stepped ashore at nine o'clock in the 
morning, and having purchased some cigars, I 
started off for the ferry- wharf, near the end of 
King Street, in order to take the steamer to 
Parramatta, a trip that had been recommended 
to me because of its charming scenery. The 
river - steamers which ply between Sydney 
and that place are small vessels of about 
seventy tons, and work upon the high -pres- 
sure principle, Yankee fashion. The distance 
between the two places is about seventeen 
miles on the so-called Parramatta river, but 
which is really only a prolonged inlet of the 
great Sydney harbour, the water being salt 



PARBAMATTA. 93 

all the way. The day was splendid, not a 
cloud in the sky. As we proceeded on our 
journey panorama after panorama displayed 
itself, each of the most exquisite loveliness. 
At intervals of four to six miles we stopped 
at roughly-constructed piers made from wood 
growing in the surrounding bush. The banks 
are as varied in their picturesque wildness 
as they are beautiful. At one time a pretty 
country residence would appear in sight, fol- 
lowed by dense woods, which in their turn 
would be succeeded by steep rocky hills cov- 
ered with pines and thick bushes. 

After an hour's journey we arrived at the 
navigable limit of the river, so quitting the 
steamer I took a seat on the omnibus which 
runs the remaining distance, a matter of six 
miles or thereabouts. Forest enveloped us on 
all sides, and strangely out of place did the 
four-horse omnibus appear thus amongst the 
trees, with no road to travel upon save that 
marked out by the impressions of its wheels, 
causing frequent and terrific ruts, and propor- 
tionate shocks to the nervous system. Emerg- 
ing into a road, the country became more open; 



94 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

pretty little English-looking cottages adorning 
the road at intervals, surrounded by orange- 
trees, vines, bananas, besides many other plants 
I did not know the names of. Parramatta is a 
small country town with nothing notable in it- 
self, but is remarkable for some splendid orange- 
groves and vineyards surrounding it, as likewise 
for its jail, an imposing group of buildings only 
recently constructed. There is literally nothing 
to do in the place in the shape of amusement ; 
so getting on the omnibus again I soon found 
myself aboard the steamer, which shortly after- 
wards proceeded Sydney- wards, where we ar- 
rived safely by five o'clock. 

I went one Sunday morning to St James's 
Church, the most fashionable in the town, the 
service being in every respect similar to that 
at home, and the congregation the same class 
of people. 

We were called at half-past five and com- 
menced work at six every morning, Sundays 
excepted. Washing decks fore and aft began 
each day. After dinner we usually had a bathe 
alongside the wharf. Sydney is a noted place 
for that particular kind of sandstone known at 



GATHERING HOLYSTONES. 95 

sea as holystone, and ships always replenish 
their store here. One day we pulled across the 
harbour under Mr Crafton to pick up as much 
as we could. It was a very heavy job, as the 
blocks, which were as much as I could lift, lay 
some distance up the beach. There is one great 
thing in being in port, you get good food, and 
invariably in abundance, which was certainly 
the case with us — so much so, that quantities 
of good meat were wasted daily, as it only 
costs here from 2d. to 4d. per pound. The 
captain and his wife were absent from the ship 
some four or five days, having gone on a visit 
in the country. Washing is very dear; the 
charge is 3d. apiece, and is done partly by con- 
victs; by which one might infer that the task 
is not generally liked* 



96 TWO YEARS ABAFT TEE MAST. 



CHAPTER IV. 

COASTING IN AUSTRALIA* 

After discharging our general London cargo, 
we took in some 400 tons of coal as ballast, 
for Newcastle, N.S.W., distant about sixty- 
miles up the coast, whither we were bound. 
I narrowly escaped being left behind. Mr 
Brooks had given me leave of absence early 
in the morning until one o'clock, and off I 
sauntered to the Domain, to have a last look 
round at the stately scenery before leaving the 
place, which we expected to do the next day. 
Happily, being without my watch, and think- 
ing my time nearly up, I returned to the wharf 
considerably before one o'clock, and found the 
ship hauling away to the anchorage, having 
just time to leap aboard. But Jack never 



WEIGHING ANCHOR. 97 

knows until the last moment where he is 
bound, nor when he may sail Captains keep 
this information well to themselves, their only 
confidants being sometimes the chief and second 
mates, who, when questioned on the subject by 
the men, generally evade giving an answer. 
We left two hands behind, the boatswain and 
an able seaman, both having obtained their dis- 
charges from the captain. 

We dropped anchor on the Wooloomooloo 
side of the harbour, waiting for the tug which 
was to tow us out of port and up the coast. 
At 9 p.m., as she did not arrive, we were told 
to turn in, but to be ready for a call at any 
moment. In obedience to the cry of the chief 
mate, " Man the windlass ! " we tumbled on deck 
at 2 a.m. and found the tug alongside. It hap- 
pened at the same time that another ship, some 
distance across the water, was weighing anchor, 
the men singing some very pretty "chan- 
ties," the effect of which was strikingly beauti- 
ful in the still night, combined with the going 
" clink " of the palls as they repeatedly dropped. 
Meanwhile we steadily walked round and round 
our windlass, and by break of day we slowly 



98 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

wended our way out to sea. We had been in 
Sydney a little over a fortnight, and I felt quite 
sorry at leaving the charming place so soon. 
The Bhine, Switzerland, the Lake of Como, are 
magnificent in their way; but as they are 
totally distinct from each other in type and 
in character, so they differ from Sydney har- 
bour. By four o'clock in the morning of the 
3d of April we passed outside the Sydney 
Heads, but with a little mishap, as the tug 
had gone on one side of the lighthouse and 
we on the other, being carried away by some 
current, which necessitated their cutting the 
hawser, and, to prevent our drifting ashore, 
we had to let go the anchor. We swung so 
rapidly that the cable parted, and had it not 
been for the timely arrival of the tug we should 
have gone ashore. The weather was rather 
squally, but we loosed the three topsails, 
which aided the tug considerably. The coast 
is principally of red sandstone, and generally 
presented a wild and rocky front, although 
relieved occasionally by patches of wood and 
bush. 

We did not reach Newcastle until five o'clock. 



NEWCASTLE, N.S.W. 99 

The first impression the place made upon me 
was anything but favourable. A small dirty 
town, or rather village, built on a steep hill, 
with a frontage on the river of wooden wharves, 
with coal -shoots everywhere; and along the 
quays trucks and waggons, all laden with coal, 
convinced me of its practical business-like call- 
ing. The river Hunter here is half as wide 
again as the Thames at Gravesend, and a great 
deal of money has been spent in clearing its 
entrance of sandbanks. We took up our moor- 
ings some distance above the town, where we 
remained a fortnight awaiting orders from our 
agents for loading. The beach was covered 
with oysters, and we several times brought some 
aboard; but in consequence of their unfortunate 
habit of clinging to large lumps of stone, and 
their obstinate adherence thereto, we never 
could bring many at a time. 

On the Sunday following our arrival I went 
ashore with Eeed. Finding we could not reach 
the town from where we had landed on account 
of some intervening pools and ditches, we 
directed our steps the opposite way, towards 
some woods j but our progress was again barred 



100 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. , 

by what appeared this time an insurmountable 
obstacle — a lagoon, fully a quarter of a mile wide, 
of black liquid mud lay stretched out before us. 
In strong contrast small clumps of vegetation 
(evergreen appearance), some distance apart, 
stood cheerfully out from the surrounding 
murkiness. We had no other choice than to 
take off our shoes and socks and wade in up to 
the knees, and occasionally deeper. When we 
reached the other side, an old man living in a 
hut close by, and who had been watching and 
directing us, showed us a spring where we suc- 
ceeded, after a fashion, in cleaning ourselves. 
This we innocently thought to be the end of 
our troubles; however, it had been decided other- 
wise. Having at last entered the wood, we 
were so unmercifully attacked by mosquitoes, 
which came swarming wherever we went, that 
we made a hasty retreat, and espying a sort 
of breakwater, we emerged there — which, al- 
though a longer distance to the ship, saved us 
the return journey as we came. 

An unusual occurrence happened here in our 
three mates leaving the ship. The captain and 
Mr Brooks dM not agree concerning several 



CHURCH IN THE COLONIES. 101 

matters, therefore they parted. Mr Paxton, 
who was close friends with the chief mate, and 
quite the contrary with Mr Crafton and the 
senior apprentice, then applied for his dis- 
charge, which the captain accorded him. But, 
shortly after discharging the chief and third 
mates, in consequence of misconduct he was 
compelled to dismiss Mr Crafton, who, having 
drawn all his pay, had not a farthing to take 
but 10s., which the captain gave him out of his 
pocket. I had received from Mr Crafton whilst 
in Sydney 27s. out of my £5, leaving a balance 
of £3, 13s., which I have never received, but 
which he nevertheless promised to remit me to 
Hong-Kong, where we were bound. The captain 
returned to Sydney to engage new officers and 
two seamen to replace those left behind there, 
which he succeeded in doing. 

The first Sunday after being alongside the 
wharf, I attended service at Christ Church 
" cathedral " — a small country-looking church, 
built romantically upon the top of some high 
cliffs overlooking the sea. The coast is very 
rocky here ; and the roar of the sea, as it franti- 
cally dashed itself into spray below, combined 



102 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

with the church music, which was exceedingly 
pretty, made the service very impressive. Our 
steward also left us, being determined, as he 
said, "to knock off the sea." He afterwards 
obtained a situation as cook in the principal 
hotel of the town. We were all sorry at his 
going, as he was such a comical fellow, so full 
of wit and humour. 

Working in coal all day, and stifling with coal- 
dust, we earnestly longed for the day when the 
ohip would be at sea again. Sailors have a 
most wholesome dislike to the loading and un- 
loading of coal. This is but natural, seeing its 
grimy influence upon everything, and consider- 
ing that sailors as a class are essentially clean in 
their habits. It is not in every port that the 
men are required to trim the coal or unload it — 
as, for instance, in China or India, where native 
labour is cheap. But whether working at it or 
not, the ship is smothered fore and aft with the 
dust. Everything seems to turn black — bedding, 
bunks, food, clothing, and even the inside of 
one's sea-chest. 

Heavy rains now began to fall at intervals — 
the month of April bordering on the Australian 



NEW HANDS. 103 

winter season. At length our good ship being 
fully loaded, we cast away from our moorings 
one fine morning and dropped anchor in the 
middle of the stream. At the eleventh hour 
two ordinary seamen, bright articles, who had 
been engaged to replace others, and who had 
both got drunk upon their advance and refused 
to sail, were brought down aboard by the police 
from the police station, where they had passed 
the night in safe custody. They were put down 
in the lazarite until the ship hauled out into the 
stream, and I was placed over the hatchway to 
look after them, which was the source of much 
laughter afterwards. We only waited for our 
anchor, lost coming out of Sydney harbour, but 
which had been fished up and was on its way 
here, arriving on the 22d. 



104 TWO YEARS ABAFT TEE MAST, 



CHAPTEE V. 

FROM AUSTRALIA TO CHINA. 

The following day, 23d April 1873, early in 
the morning, we weighed anchor, and with royals 
loosed we stood out to sea, bound to Hong- 
Kong. There had been many changes in the 
ship's company since we first touched the 
Australian coast two months back. Our new 
chief mate, Mr Alton, rather above the medium 
height, with thick moustache and whiskers, had 
a Yankee twang about his talk which helped 
to make him a good deal disliked at first ; but 
the real reason was, I think, that when he gave 
an order he insisted upon its being executed. 
However, we soon found out our mistake, and 
he subsequently became a general favourite. Mr 
Mason, second mate, a Scotchman, was a \>\p 



AT SEA AGAIN-. 105 

square-shouldered man, with black bushy beard. 
His strong penchant for aqua vitce and other 
mild fluids got him into sad trouble upon more 
than one occasion. He had once been a captain, 
but had ruined himself by drink The boat- 
swain and third mate were not replaced — the 
senior apprentice, Chas. Turner, being made 
acting third mate. 

We were glad to get to sea again ; for much 
as Jack looks forward to reaching port, he 
soon gets tired of the irregular hours and 
work beside, the customary routine of his 
salt-water life. A stiff breeze sprang up after 
clearing the coast; and under a press of sail, 
driving us along at the rate of eight knots, we 
soon lost sight of land. During the afternoon 
all hands were mustered on the quarter-deck, 
and watches were repicked — I again falling 
into the second mate's. The first few days we 
encountered an unusually heavy sea, consider- 
ing the wind, causing us to ship large quanti- 
ties of water as we rolled from side to side with 
square yards. The watch had a good laugh 
at my expense one afternoon. I had to get a 
bucket of salt water ; and as the ship was roll- 



106 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

ing most unmercifully, I did not deem it pru- 
dent nor pleasant to draw it from over the bul- 
warks, so had recourse to the more convenient 
way of stooping with the bucket on one side in 
the lee-scuppers, waiting for the water to rise 
through the scupper-hole as she rolled over: 
but as ill-luck would have it, she suddenly 
lurched so much, that the- bulwarks were com- 
pletely buried in the sea, and of course myself 
likewise. After being washed across the quar- 
ter-deck, struggling, swimming, and gasping, 
the water subsided, which enabled me to regain 
my footing. 

We sighted New Caledonia at daybreak of 
the 30th, and on the 1st of May entered the 
tropics, and soon found ourselves among the 
flying-fish, which are only to be met within the 
tropical limits. On a fine day hundreds can 
be seen leaping out of the water and flying 
away, frightened* by the approach of the ship. 
They seldom rise to a greater height than three 
or four feet from the water. The only means of 
catching them is to entice them to fly aboard by 
holding a lantern over the bulwarks at night- 
time, which, however, is seldom successful. 



THE SOLOMON ISLANDS. 107 

Saturday, 3d Ma} T , our lat. was 20° S., long. 
163° E., with all sail set and a fair steady breeze. 
The heat became very oppressive by night as 
well as by day — most of us sleeping on the 
foreeastle-head for the sake of coolness. Tues- 
day, the 6th May, we sighted the islands com- 
posing the Solomon group. During the day 
the breeze died away, leaving us becalmed ; and 
as evening approached, lightning was visible 
around the horizon. At 10 p.m. a strong wind 
sprang up, which soon increased to a moderate 
gale, lasting, from the time we shortened sail 
to when sail was made again, nearly two days. 
It is invariably a rule that when passing islands 
at sea, particularly in the tropics, one encoun- 
ters squalls and gales. Fortunately they clear 
up as suddenly as they begin ; for on the Thurs- 
day morning the sun rose in all his heat and 
glory, with just enough breeze to fill the sails. 
The captain, following his reckoning, sent me 
up on the foretop-gallant-yard to look out for 
land ; and towards 1 P.M. an island was observed 
on the port bow (Stewart's Island, Solomon 
group), and the breeze being light, the captain 
gave orders to bear down upon it. We might 



108 TWO YEARS AS AFT THE MAST. 

have been about eight or nine miles distant, and 
the island bearing on our port beam, when two 
objects were seen on the water a long way 
off, which Mr Alton, by the aid of the ship's 
glasses, discovered to be two canoes pulling 
vigorously towards us, and with sails set to 
catch what little wind there now was. We 
backed our mainyard to give them time to come 
up. I watched them with all the eagerness of 
one who had read of wild Indians and South 
Sea Islanders, but who, hopeless of witnessing 
the extraordinary customs and sights narrated, 
had closely associated them with the mythical. 
When near enough to make themselves heard, 
they shouted in broken English for a rope's 
end, gesticulating franticly whilst getting along- 
side. The canoes were apparently dug out of a 
solid trunk, with' a stout plank of wood running 
parallel with and at a distance of 12 to 14 feet 
from the keel, and which is connected with the 
canoe by half-a-dozen bamboo stems. The great 
value of this outrigger consists in its affording 
the means of counteracting the pressure on the 
sails— the occupants of the canoe having merely 
to lie out and come in on the outrigger as the 



SOUTH SEA ISLANDERS. 109 

breeze increases and diminishes; so that where 
a European boat would perhaps be under 
reefed canvas, these native craft not only would 
have theirs set, but would sail along as upright 
as in a calm. 

There were about half-a-dozen men in each, 
whose only covering consisted of a cape reach- 
ing down to the elbows, and a cotton band 
three inches deep round the hips. Their skin 
was a dark olive-brown, highly tattooed, but 
their height and proportions were very much 
those of a European. Their hair, jet black, 
long, and frizzy, was brushed out all over, as 
nearly as possible at right angles with the 
roots, making their heads appear an enormous 
size. They sprang up over the bulwarks like 
cats, and two or three stopping to shake hands 
with Mr Alton, they scampered on to the poop 
and surrounded the captain, to whom they 
endeavoured to show their good friendship by 
making horrible grimaces and talking broken 
English. They brought cocoa-nuts, sea-shells, 
native fruits, and palm-oil for barter, wanting 
above all things, in exchange, tobacco and 
matches. "We did a rare trade with them, I 



110 TWO YEARS ABAFT TEE MAST. 

gave one fellow a clay-pipe, three boxes of 
Bryant & May's safety matches, and my hair- 
comb, for two bags of sea-shells and his hat — a 
round conical concern made out of palm-leaves, 
which took my fancy, but with which he was 
exceedingly loath to part. I was shortly after- 
wards greatly amused by his coming back saying 
the matches were no good, a fact he proceeded 
to demonstrate by striking several impatiently 
against the side of my bunk; v but he went away 
quite satisfied when I had pointed out to him 
their peculiarity. All business transactions 
over, the captain bade them depart, which they 
did after bidding us good-bye in such affection- 
ate terms as made us all laugh heartily. We 
squared our mainyard again and proceeded on 
our course before a gentle breeze, which barely 
filled the sails and only rippled the water. It 
was indeed the Pacific Ocean. I watched the two 
canoes disappearing away on their destination 
— an island clad in all the luxury of nature, 
made more beautiful still by the glowing tints 
of the setting sun. One is prompted to believe 
that peace and happiness must reign in such 
a Garden of Eden. And yet some of the most 



A GALE. Ill 

atrocious murders are sometimes committed on 
Europeans by these mild and seemingly pleas- 
ant people, inhabiting these favoured regions. 

Saturday, the 10th of May, our latitude was 
5° 42' S., long. 163° 8' E., under a scorching 
sun and nearly becalmed, but with occasional 
squalls. A sail was seen on the horizon on our 
port beam. We were visited in the morning 
by a bird of curious proportions, which came 
and settled on the tafferel. It somewhat re- 
sembled a pigeon, with a long beak and dark 
feathers. One of the men caught it and had it 
for breakfast next day. Monday a total eclipse 
of the moon occurred from 10 to 12 P.M.; 
numerous porpoises had surrounded the ship 
during the evening. From Monday to Thurs- 
day we lay in an almost unbroken calm ; but 
on the Thursday, 15th May, a breeze sprang 
up, which rapidly freshened into a gale. It 
gradually increased in force, and lasted alto- 
gether five days, with a few lulls. On the lasl 
day, Monday, it was at its height, roaring 
through the rigging with the noise of artillery 
and the ship plunging and rolling in foam and 
surf. At eight bells forenoon all hands were 



112 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

called to shorten sail, which had been already 
reduced to topsails, mainsail, and foresail. We 
now stowed all but main lower topsail We 
were nearly blown off the yards in laying out ; 
and the rain dashed in our faces so hard that 
it was impossible to look to windward. The 
sight and noise of a gale of wind seen from 
aloft are awfully wild. Immediately below is 
the boiling sea dashing and burying the jib-boom 
and forecastle-head in a mass of foam. At 
intervals a huge sea, tons in weight, literally 
tumbles across the main deck, crushing and 
sweeping everything before it. On all sides, as 
far as the eye can reach, mountainous waves 
roll over and over, their outlines lost in clouds 
of drifting spray. As for the noise of sea and 
wind, it is utterly indescribable. First an 
infernal howl, shrilly whistling and whining; 
then a deep hollow roar, overwhelming in inten- 
sity, — howl and roar varying with the angle at 
which the wind strikes the ear. The heavy, 
shivering thud of the seas as they strike the 
gallant hull, causing the masts to shake and 
quiver under one, alone seem sufficient to 



PREPARING FOR .PORT. ~ 113 

wrench the strip to pieces. Things go smoother 
ashore than at sea in a gale of wind. 

Towards night it rapidly cleared up, and 
Tuesday saw us again under full sail: a 
bright sun and blue sky, and a nice steady 
breeze; no vestige of the previous day re- 
mained but a rolling, lumpy sea. Thursday, 
22d May, we were in lat. 11° 15' K, long. 
151° E., with a fine breeze. This day, after 
repeated practice, I persuaded the second mate 
to allow me to take a regular wheel and look- 
out, and which I always afterwards took. 
Sunday the 25th, at 5 A.M., we sighted the 
island Eota, Ladrone group, lat. 14° 9' N"., long. 
145° 30' E. These seas are noted for the pre- 
vailing light winds ; and when the sun is ver- 
tical, as it wag with us at this time, the heat 
is overpowering. All the next week we made 
very little way ; continual calms and light airs 
ussailed us. We employed our time in clean- 
ing and painting the ship, to show off her 
beauty in Hong-Kong. The Sea Queen was 
a pretty specimen of the fast modern clipper, 
and often had she been admired for her graceful 

H 



114 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

lines. Unfortunately, in bad weather she did 
not always behave as nicely as she might, 
sometimes rolling and pitching in bold defiance 
of centres of gravity and rotation, flooding the 
decks and inundating the berths. 

Sunday, 1st June, lat. 18° 5' N., long. 133° 
15' E. A steady breeze sprang up, carrying us 
along six to seven knots an hour. In the 
morning a shoal of biackfish was seen sporting 
close to the ship. The weather became very 
squally towards the end of the week, with head- 
winds. Saturday afternoon I hurried on deck, 
araused by that horrid cry, " All hands shorten 
sail." A drenching rain was beating down 
upon us, and the sky showed some signs of an 
approaching typhoon. After taking in all the 
light sails, and things getting no worse, we 
went below, wet to the skin, every one out of 
sorts at being called at a false alarm, for the 
weather soon after cleared up and gave way to 
a fair wind. On the Monday we entered the 
Bashee group of islands, most of them desolate- 
looking and uninhabited. Natural consequence 
of being amongst islands, we were again be- 
calmed until Thursday, when a head -wind 



JTURST PEEP OF CHINA. 115 

baffled us. This day we sighted several sail, 
the nearest proving to be the Windsor Castle 
(Blackwall Line), from Newcastle, N.S.W., tr 
Hong-Kong, thirty-nine days out, having made 
a better passage so far than we had done, as 
she sailed considerably after we did. This was 
owing partly to her having taken a more 
easterly course, where the sea is more open, 
although the distance is somewhat greater. 
Friday, in the evening, a Chinese junk passed 
us a quarter of a mile off, looking one of the 
queerest constructions possible. Saturday, 15th 
June, we sighted the first Chinese land in some 
islands outlying from Hong-Kong. Towards 
night we hove to awaiting the pilot, who came 
aboard at about 2 A.M., when we at once made 
sail again. 



116 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 



CHAPTEE VL 

HONG-KONG AND FOO-CHOW. 

When Sunday morning dawned we were sailing 

steadily up the winding waters to Hong-Kong, 
overshadowed by lofty islands, steep and barren; 
and owing to the clear atmosphere, their distance 
was very deceptive. The fishing-boats, with their 
fovo large butterfly - looking sails, had a very 
picturesque effect. Rounding Green Island, the 
town of Hong-Kong presented itself to our view. 
Quite a flotilla of sampans had fastened on to 
us by this time, and it was amusing to watch 
the state of excitement they were all in, for what 
purpose I don't know. We came to anchor at 
sunset, furled the sails neatly, and went below 
to tea. Our decks were thronged with natives 
selling fruit, cigars, and' all sorts of wares, from 



HONG-KONG. 117 

a bottle of curry to oilskin suits and sea-boots. 
The Chinese have a curious religions custom of 
lighting small red tapers at sunset, which they 
fix to various parts of their boats ; I have fre- 
quently seen little children just able to walk 
performing this duty. The harbour was full 
of shipping; amongst it the Windsor Castle, 
which had arrived the previous day. _ The 
weather was very hot, forbidding us sleep on 
any less airy place than the forecastle-head, 
where we took up our blankets as a mattress 
every night. 

Hong-Kong looks very stately from the water, 
with its large, white, tastefully-decorated build- 
ings, almost palaces, lining the quays and ex- 
tending up the slopes of Victoria Mount into 
pretty suburban mansions. 

Hong-Kong (fragrant streams) island is one 
of a group called by the Portuguese Ladrones 
(thieves), from the character of the old inhabi- 
tants, and is situated near the mouth of the 
Canton river. Its leqgth is about nine miles, 
breadth two to five miles, and area a little over 
twenty-nine square miles. The Ly-ee-moon 
Pass, a narrow channel separating the island 



118 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

from the mainland, is not more than half a mile 
in width. The opposite peninsula of Kowloon 
was ceded to Great Britain in 1861, and now 
forms part of Hong-Kong. It possesses one 
of the best harbours in the world, surrounded 
by quaint red sandy hills rising between 2000 
and 3000 feet high. The city of Victoria ex- 
tends for four miles at the foot of the hills on 
the south side of the harbour, and contains 
6000 houses, amongst which are the residences 
of the European merchants — magnificent man- 
sions. 

Owing to ships lying here at anchor away 
from the quays, we experienced some difficulty 
in getting ashore, as sampans are dear at Hong- 
Kong in comparison with Foo-chow or Shanghai. 
The first time I went ashore was to post the 
ship's letter. As I walked through the crowded 
narrow streets, I was greatly struck with the 
quaint native dress and shops ; everything told 
of an Eastern town, the absence of vehicles and 
horses especially. 

The first Sunday, the captain sent word 
for'ard asking the apprentices to accompany 
him with Mrs Ferguson, after dinner, up to 



VIC TO 111 A PEAK. 119 

Victoria Peak.* Accordingly, having landed, we 
set off in sedan-chairs in single file, the time 
being about two o'clock. Eeed went first, I 
second, M'Ewan third, Mrs Ferguson fourth, 
und the captain winding up the procession. 
As we gradually ascended the bare slopes of 
Victoria Mount the heat became intense, but 
was much compensated by the easy travelling. 
The chairs are roofed over, with blinds on each 
side ; and being in the centre of two long bam- 
boos running parallel, supported at each end on 
a man's shoulders, they have a most comfortable 
swing. Victoria Peak is the highest point in 
the island, and is immediately above the town. 
The Governor's summer-house is situated there, 
and also a guard-house and flag-staff, where all 
ships coming in are first signalled. It com- 
mands a magnificent view, but as regards extent 
only; beneath, all is barren, parched-up, grassy 
land, excepting the suburbs of the town, which 
European enterprise has laid out in gardens 
and planted with trees. In cloudy weather the 
clouds descend far below the Peak. Coming 
down, we halted by a spring to let the bearers 
* 1825 feet above the level of the sea. 



120 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

refresh themselves ; and as we uncorked some 
ale, the captain gave our interesting natives a 
bottle among them. Seeing it would not go all 
round (ten in number), they sagaciously mixed 
it with water to an almost unlimited amount. 

The meat ships obtain in China is buffalo ; 
and barring its being a little tough sometimes, 
I found it quite equal to English beef. Eggs 
are cheap and fresh — so is fruit : the different 
kinds of the latter it would be quite impossible 
to name ; suffice it to say, they are all more or 
less luscious. Captains always engage a native 
boat to supply the crew with fancy wares and 
food in the shape of eggs, soft bread (nautical 
term, "tommy"), curry, chutney, and various 
other little accessories of life courted by Jack 
in port. They are called bumboats, and come 
alongside every morning for an hour or so; 
by their means sailors are enabled to buy al- 
most anything they want without waiting for an 
opportunity to go ashore, which seldom occurs, 
lying so far off as in Hong-Kong. Intoxicating 
drinks are, however, strictly forbidden to be 
supplied. 

After working hours Ci.e 6 P.M.) I often swam 



DISCHARGING CARGO. 121 

aboard other ships, as it is a very common prac- 
tice in China among sailors. Mr Alton came 
co grief here through drink. A better officer 
could not be found • anywhere. Smart in his 
duties, never hesitating to lend a hand on a rope 
when occasion required, and liked by the men, 
everything went well at sea, where strong drink 
was not abundant. Neither was he a man to 
drink by himself; unfortunately, with friends 
he knew no bounds. He was discharged; and 
Mr Mason, holding a captain's certificate, was 
appointed first mate in his place, to the aston- 
ishment of all hands, who knew him to be far 
worse than Mr Alton : yet, notwithstanding that 
his normal condition was that of " half-seas over," 
he had succeeded to a great extent in hiding 
the fact from the captaim 

We did not begin discharging cargo until eight 
days after arrival, through the delay of our 
agents' orders. Dirt enveloped us again, though 
perhaps to a less extent than in Newcastle, 
owing to coal being discharged in China by the 
natives, who pass it up in little flat baskets, 
rigging up stages as they work down the hold ; 
and each basket passing from hand to hand over 



122 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

the bulwarks, and down into the native lighter 
alongside, very little dust escapes. 

The native shops have no glass, but the con- 
sequent naked look is made up by bright colour- 
ing and gilding — the latter particularly at the 
back of the shop. Each one has his name and 
trade inscribed on a long sign outside — a thin 
narrow board hanging perpendicularly, with large 
gilded characters on a vermilion background. 
The less busy parts of the streets, as regards 
European commerce, are lined with stalls and 
barrows, selling fruit and sweetmeats, delicious 
to look at ; but not knowing how the delicately- 
peeled pears, glace, and superbly-tinted con- 
fectionery were prepared, I never was tempted 
to buy any. Cigars are cheap and good; and 
being aware of this, I did not hesitate in barter- 
ing a flannel shirt for boxes containing about 
three hundred, which were offered me one day 
aboard by a cunning rascal who was well up in 
the art of swindling. They certainly looked good 
outside, but that was all ; for I soon discovered 
they were all stuffed with sand. Keepingthis fact 
to myself, I sold them at fifty per cent profit to 
a shipmate, who, very properly, never paid me. 



A JOSS-BO USB. 123 

Strolling on "liberty day" through the nar 
row streets and alleys, I came across a native 
place of worship — a Joss-house — which I forth 
with entered. The interior bore a marked re- 
semblance to a Eoman Catholic or Eitualistic 
place of worship. A large altar stood at the end 
of the church, facing the entrance, supporting a 
big idol, painted black, with immense horns and 
teeth ; on each side were vases holding flowers, 
and at each end a huge candle. Some natives 
knelt, prostrating themselves, before the grim 
monster, whose material form had been so hap- 
pily portrayed by their ancestors' imagination, 
aided by consciences similar in shade and pro- 
portions to the object produced. My smoking 
was apparently not objectionable in the sacred 
building, or I suppose somebody would have 
stopped me. In out-of-the-way corners were 
little chapels dedicated to inferior deities, and 
containing respectively their idols. A China- 
man's conscience must in reality be guilty to 
produce such horrid images. Looking into a 
small chamber partitioned off from the larger 
room, I saw the priest asleep on a bare matting, 
with a little lamp burning by his side. Judg- 



124 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

ing by appearances, luxury was unknown to 
bim. Emerging from this edifice I walked into 
a native school, composed of little boys from 
about seven to fourteen, who were all busy 
writing, or rather drawing, hieroglyphics, each 
a symbol of a word. 

Having discharged all our coal and taken in 
ballast, we cleared the decks and prepared for 
sea, being bound for Foo-chow, some four hun- 
dred and fifty miles up the coast, to obtain a 
tea-freight for Europe, and perhaps for London, 
whither, I was told, the owners had written to 
the captain to proceed. Our " staff" had seen 
another sweeping change. As before mentioned, 
Mr Mason had been promoted to first mate in 
place of Mr Alton, discharged; and a new second 
mate had been shipped, Mr Norman. Our stew- 
ard (shipped at Newcastle), whose imbibing 
qualities would have outdone a fish's and 
rivalled an oyster's, was dismissed for continual 
drunkenness, and went straight to the hospital to 
recover his brains. The cook left too, through 
some petty grievances aft, which we much re- 
gretted, as he was the soul of the ship, and al- 
ways obliging in his galley. Besides these, an 



LEAVE HONG-KONG. 125 

able seaman and ordinary seaman were shipped, 
replacing others whose discharges had been 
granted. Many sailors ask their discharges 
without any reason whatever, merely that they 
want a change, which eventually becomes a 
habit. 

On the 2d of July, in the afternoon, we 
weighed anchor to the tune " I served my time 
in the Blackball Line," and, wafted by a gentle 
breeze, we glided slowly along past the shipping, 
and rounding Green Island we soon lost sight 
of the white, clean-looking town of Hong-Kong. 
As evening drew on, the wind freshened so much 
that w T e had to shorten sail to topsails; but as 
the weather still looked very threatening, the 
anchor was let go for the night. During the 
night the gale increased, and in consequence we 
let go the other anchor, paying out considerably 
on both. At daybreak matters were the same, 
and by bearings taken overnight we . found the 
ship to be drifting inshore. However, -we suc- 
ceeded in bringing up by paying out more cable. 
Being still in the port limits of Hong-Kong, we 
were completely hemmed in by land upon every 
side, excepting one little opening, some eight or 



126 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

ten miles off, showing the open sea. Our pilot, 
a native, became very excited, and told the 
captain to prepare for a typhoon. Accordingly 
we set to, securing everything on deck with 
stout lashings, sent down royal and top -gallant 
yards, and, finally, housed the mizzen top-gallant 
mast. The pilot begged of the captain to allow 
him to go ashore in his junk, containing his 
wife and children, and which held on to us by 
a line ; but this he stoutly refused, as he was 
ignorant of the waters himself. But in the 
afternoon a sudden blast struck us with unusual 
severity, roaring through the rigging with a 
deafening noise; and the knowing and terror- 
stricken pilot, thinking it was all up with the 
ship, sagaciously looked after himself by sliding 
down the line and dragging himself through 
the foaming sea aboard his junk, when he let go 
our line and made for the land — with what suc- 
cess I cannot say, as the heavy sea, rain, and mist 
reduced our range of vision to very narrow limits. 
Next morning the clouds began to divide — 
sign that the worst had passed. We began 
heaving up anchor after breakfast ; but through 
the heavy sea and great length of cable out on 



SICKNESS ON BOARD. 127 

both anchors, we progressed but slowly. To- 
wards five o'clock in the evening M'Ewan left 
the windlass, saying he felt unwell. Half an 
hour after, I myself was obliged to leave work 
from an attack of giddiness and sickness ; and 
by. dark, when orders were given to knock o£ 
heaving, several of the men were affected simi- 
larly. During the night we continually vomited 
but I the most ofUn, at intervals of ten to fif- 
teen minutes. Next morning I was so weak 
that I had to lie in my bunk. M'Ewan was 
not quite so bad. By this time nearly all hands 
in the forecastle were ill; consequently the 
anchors could not be weighed, and the topsails, 
which had been loosed in readiness for making 
sail, were left all night flapping in the wind. 

The following morning, as things looked seri- 
ous, the captain sent Eeed (who was about the 
only one well) aboard a P. & 0. steamer, lying 
half a mile off, for their surgeon. He came to 
our berth first with the captain, and said the 
pork was very bad, and our water no better. 
But then I certainly had been eating daily a 
quantity of bananas, litches, and preserved 
ginger (cheap and bad, in molasses), besides 



128 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

drinking largely of bottled lemonade (four cents 
a bottle). To what extent this fare applied to 
the rest of the crew, I will not say. The result 
of the P. & 0. doctor's visit was a charge of £7 
to the ship and a dose of castor-oil all round. 
When next morning came we all turned to* as 
usual, and oontinued heaving up anchor; but 
I still felt anything but right. By noon the 
anchors were nearly at the bows ; and with all 
plain sail set, tacks well down, and sheets well 
aft, we sped along out to sea with a leading 
wind, Saturday, 5th July. 

' As soon as we got clear of the coast (about 
6 or 7 p.m.), the wind fell to a very light breeze, 
and during the night we barely did two knots 
an hour. Sunday afternoon we were boarded 
by some fishermen, of whom the captain bought 
some fish after a good deal of bargaining — we, 
of course, having no money, as, sailor-like, we 
had spent our last farthings before leaving port. 
During the afternoon of Monday we saw 
a " sea-serpent ; " and what is more, actually 
caught it ! It was not 'formidable-looking, nor 
very big — two feet at the most. The cook, 
leaning over the bulwarks drawing a bucket of 



TEE SEA-SERPENT CAUGHT. 129 

water, called our attention to a snake quietly 
gliding through the water, which, being a dead 
calm, was as smooth as glass. As its motion 
was very slow, we resolved to catch it; so 
bending a rope's end on to a bucket, the cook 
cleverly hauled* the marine monster aboard. It 
closely resembled the common adder, and had 
very probably been washed out to sea by one of 
the rivers, although, the land not being visible, 
the coast must have been many miles off. I 
felt almost sorry we had caught it ; for had we 
not, it would undoubtedly have crossed some 
other ship's path less practical but more im- 
aginative, whose captain very likely would 
have made an entry in the log to the effect that 
he had really seen the sea-serpent of vast size 
and diabolical looks. The captain preserved 
it in a bottle of spirits of wine. 

Only light breezes favoured us day after day, 
and they even occasionally died away to a 
calm. We had plenty to do, however, in clean- 
ing the hold for a tea-cargo (tea-shippers are 
wonderfully particular about a clean hold), 
which after coal was a hard and dirty task, es- 
pecially in these hot latitudes, where the air is 



130 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

already rarefied enough, without being alloyed 
with coal-dust. Knocking and scraping the 
ironwork, cleaning the dirt out from the skin, 
scrubbing and pumping, our watches on deck 
were not idle. I continued very weak, and was 
quite unable to do any heavy work. I could 
eat nothing, — the pork was putrid ; and so com- 
pletely did I turn against it, that I never wholly 
overcame the dislike afterwards. On the Wed- 
nesday evening I ground the cook's coffee, and 
got two tablespoonfuls of mashed potatoes from 
him for the job, which was the first passable meal 
I had made since leaving port. Thursday night 
closed in with lightning round the horizon, and 
soon after our watch turned in (our first watch 
below — i.e., 8 to 12 p.m.) a heavy thunderstorm 
burst over us, which nevertheless did not prevent 
me sleeping soundly till eight bells. When our 
watch came on deck at midnight the storm still 
raged. The rain poured down in masses of 
water perpendicularly, as not a breath of air 
stirred. I never before saw such lightning; 
it was quite blinding in its intense vividness. 
A little before two bells (2 o'clock a.m.) the 
second mate sent me to sweep the poop (decks 



THE MIN RIVER. 131 

are always swept at sea when it rains, but not 
usually at night-time) ; for this I formed a very 
unfavourable opinion of him, and inwardly 
cursed him. "Growl you may, but go you 
must," says the sea ditty. I gladly turned in 
again at 4 A.M., and by morning all vestiges of 
the furious thunderstorm had passed away. 

Friday evening we sighted a lighthouse, which 
the captain had been looking out for ; and as 
soon as it became dark we dropped anchor, 
stowed the sails, "chalked" for watches, and 
turned in for the night. At daybreak we loosed 
sail, weighed anchor, and proceeded under small 
canvas on our course to the mouth of the river 
Min, leading up to Foo-chow. We shortly after 
signalled a pilot-boat, and took a pilot (Euro- 
pean) aboard. The sea-pilots are all Europeans, 
in Yankee cutters, manned by half-a-dozen 
natives. The native pilots, as a rule, only ply 
on the rivers, and then only for ridiculous dis- 
tances, as will be seen hereafter. Propelled by 
a gentle breeze on a smooth sea, the coast 
steadily developed before us, sandy and burn- 
ing to the eyes. As we entered the river the 
breeze somewhat freshened, carrying us along 



132 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

at about seven knots. Our European now gave 
place to a native pilot. A number of big junks 
lay anchored at the mouth of the river, deeply 
loaded with timber, known here as "poles." 
Our progress was much checked by the tide, 
which runs very swiftly in the river Min. A 
high ridge of mountainous hills flanked the 
river on either side; and when an opening 
occurred, others could be seen as far as the eye 
could reach. At one time the sides would be 
highly cultivated with rice, grown in regular 
bands, the distance between each being marked 
by a step like a flight of stairs. Next would 
follow barren and desolate views — rocky moun- 
tains, black and purple, according to the light, 
supporting a few straggling firs. The villages 
had a peculiarly quaint look, nestled in little 
nooks, with fantastic roofs to the huts. The 
military forts, planted at intervals on command- 
ing sites, appeared more ridiculous than formid- 
able. Their positions were indicated by a line 
of white mounds, something like stout columns 
cut off at a height of seven or eight feet, and a 
few feet apart to allow the firing of the cannons, 
which ; nevertheless, were as scarce as they were 



A COMFORTABLE MEAL. 133 

worthless. The sentinels, too, were no doubt 
looking after their absent guns, for I never saw 
a living creature occupying these forts. 

We steadily sailed up ; and on account of the 
continuous bends in the river, we had enough to 
do in squaring and bracing up the yards, setting 
and hauling down staysails, and even head- 
sails and spanker where the helm could not 
manage the rounding of an awkward point. 
Emerging from a narrow reach, we entered a 
wide expanse of water, almost like a branch 
of the sea. Here our pilot left us, his navi- 
gating knowledge extending no further; and 
as night was coming on, we let go the anchor 
after gradually stowing the sails. In the morn- 
ing we were all engaged buying soft bread and 
eggs from the " bumboat " man. For breakfast 
we had fresh meat ; and with half a pound of 
steak, four eggs, and a small loaf and pint of 
passable coffee, I set to. I did enjoy this meal, 
and I wanted it badly after my forced absti- 
nence since leaving Hong-Kong. Waiting for 
the tide to turn, and being Sunday morning, we* 
had nothing to do till eleven o'clock, when we 
took another native pilot aboard, weighed an- 



134 TWO YEARS ABAFT TEE MAST. 

chor, and proceeded to the anchorage some six 
miles higher up, where we arrived at 1 p.m., 
furled the sails, and had the rest of the Sunday 
to ourselves — 13th July. 

"Pagoda Anchorage" (named after a very 
old pagoda built on the top of an island called 
Pagoda Island) is formed by the river suddenly 
widening (to an extent of about two miles in 
some places) into a large sheet of water, having 
the appearance of an inland lake encompassed 
with mountains — a few patches cultivated with 
rice struggliug here and there to enliven the 
otherwise desolate scene. On one side are built 
some European houses — two ship-chandlers, an 
English chapel (very small), and several private 
dwellings belonging to English engineers and 
officials connected with the Chinese arsenal, of 
which Foo-chow boasts the first in the empire ; 
and on the top of a hill stands the doctor's 
house (resident Englishman — for the shipping 
principally), a little below that of the British 
Consul, which latter commands a fine view of 
the whole anchorage. The only structure on 
the opposite side is the Chinese Custom-house, 
of European architecture, and only recently 



PAGODA ISLAND. 135 

erected. But the Pagoda Island contrasts by 
its beauty with the melancholy mountains. It 
rises steeply from the water, and is covered 
with shrubs and trees, between the openings of 
which can be seen native houses and huts, with 
curiously-decorated fronts and roofs: strange 
little structures some of them, propped up out 
of the water by long bamboos, upon whose 
sometimes doubtful and precarious support the 
whole concerns depend. Crowning this pretty 
little oasis stands the old pagoda, built of stone ; 
which, judging by its dilapidated condition 
and weather-beaten appearance, must be some 
hundreds of years old. 



136 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 



CHAPTEK VII. 

WAITING FOR FREIGHT. 

Having come in ballast, we had nothing to dis- 
charge. The captain's object was to get a freight 
of tea for London ; but this he failed to do, on 
account of our arriving late in the season and 
there being several large steamers in the port, 
which reduced freights generally. However, 
everything was done that was possible to induce 
shippers to give us a cargo. From morning till 
night we were down in the hold scraping and 
scrubbing, most of the time by candle-light. 
At one time it appeared as if the captain had 
been successful, for a large " tea-chop " (a tea- 
barge) came alongside laden with tea-chests 
labelled "London," and which were in due 
course neatly stowed away in our hold. Unfor- 



OUR ANCHORAGE. 137 

tunately no others followed : and finally a gang 
of natives came, who took away what we already 
had. I presume from this that there was some 
misunderstanding about the freight. The time 
passed dreadfully slowly. After unbending the 
sails and cleaning ship, we had little to do. 
The decks were scraped and holystoned fore and 
aft by natives, after having been caulked in 
Hong-Kong. At night we all slept on the fore- 
castle-head, protected by the awning from the 
moon (many people believe that the rays falling 
on the face distort the features). When lying 
at anchor in port, watch is kept all night by one 
of the men, who turns in during the day. A 
strange sound like a sharp rap on a board, re- 
peated twice, was constantly heard at night-time 
in the distance, and had a very peculiar effect, 
breaking, as it did, a death-like stillness ; but I 
never could learn what it was. 

This anchorage was certainly the most solitary 
place I was ever at. The city of Foo-chow is 
situated eight miles higher up the river, which 
above the anchorage is too full of shoals for 
ships to venture up, and all the tea for the ships 
is sent down in the barges before mentioned. 



138 TWO TEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

The principal event is the arrival or departure 
of a vessel. Directly a white sail is seen in the 
distance, seemingly emerging from nowhere, 
all the ships' glasses are turned upon it, en- 
deavouring to solve the question of who she can 
be. The same excitement prevails on a ship 
leaving, and this is enhanced by a custom here 
of firing cannon on the occasion. 

Eeed became very poorly, having to keep to 
his bunk at last. The doctor advised the cap- 
tain to send him to the hospital ashore, where, 
after a fortnight's sojourn, he regained his health. 
About this time also I suffered much pain from 
an abscess in the ear, produced, I was told, from 
some dirt washing into it whilst bathing. The 
doctor visited me every day, but his remedies 
did me no good. Sleep was out of the question 
day or night; the greater part of the night I 
paced the deck. I endured this pain about a 
week, when the doctor ordered me three leeches, 
which " Chips " (the carpenter) carefully applied 
one Saturday afternoon whilst decks were being 
washed. After this little operation the abscess 
quickly disappeared. Bathing was forbidden me 
some little while after, which was hard foj »ue to 



A SWIMMING ADVENTURE. 139 

obey, as we had great sport of an evening in the 
water when the tide was slack. Meanwhile the 
Duke of Abercorn had arrived from Shanghai, 
whither she had gone from Sydney ; and when 
my ear allowed me, I swam aboard. I often did 
this afterwards, their apprentices occasionally 
honouring us with a visit in like manner — trou- 
sers and pipe being immediately supplied to the 
aquatic visitors. 

I nearly got carried away by the current one 
evening. The tide was ebbing, and wanted 
another hour before slack water ; but wishing to 
try my strength, I resolved to swim to the Duke 
of Abercorn, lying about four points on our 
starboard bow, and at a considerable distance 
off, so that I had to stem the full force of the 
current. Arriving half-way, I found I had over- 
rated my power, the more so as the Duke of 
Abercorn lay more towards the middle of the 
river, where the tide was swifter. When within 
twenty yards of her beam, I thought I could 
not possibly reach her; so singing out to them, 
as well as I was able, to pay out a line over 
the stern that I might drift down on, I trusted 
to this last chance. However, the tide swept 



140 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

me so close to her quarter, that I managed tc 
lay hold of a rope's end which one of the 
apprentices threw me, and by its means I suc- 
ceeded in getting aboard much exhausted. The 
apprentices in this vessel lived in a house on 
the quarter-deck, and altogether were much 
more comfortable than ourselves. 

Day after day, week after week, rolled by 
without any prospect of a tea -charter. The 
weather also was intensely hot, and the time 
grew very monotonous. There being no going 
ashore, made the life more unpleasant than at 
sea. On Sundays, however, we might have 
gone if we had chosen ; but sailors do not care 
about going ashore when they have no money 
to spend, or if they had, nowhere to spend it. 
As regards food, we had plenty. The meat, 
though tough, was as fresh as could be. Un- 
happily, the first two weeks we had potatoes, 
distinguishable as " sweet," and which were so 
peculiarly repulsive to the majority of our tastes, 
that they either went to feed a pig we had taken 
aboard in Newcastle, N.S.W., or else over the 
side.*, Ships' crews invariably get these potatoes 
in China and India, probably because of their 



A DINNER-PARTY. 141 

V 

cheapness. Soak a large floury potato in 
eau-de-Cologne well sweetened, and you will 
make a very good resemblance of one. When 
the captain saw that they really went straight 
from the galley overboard, he substituted a large 
turnip-looking root known by the natives as 
" coco " (thus pronounced). These fared hardly 
better than their insipid brethren at the hands of 
the men. For my part, I liked them immensely. 
They were like potatoes in shape, of a purple 
colour, and when cooked, the inside was like 
damp starchy flour of no particular flavour, if 
any; nevertheless I enjoyed them more than 
English potatoes. 

There were two men-o'-war in port, one Chi- 
nese and the other the English gunboat Teazer, 
a smart little steamer of 400 tons, with raking 
masts. Our captain knew one of the officers, and 
our " Chips " and theirs were also great friends. 
One evening the captain gave a dinner to the 
said naval officer, the English doctor (with 
whom he became very intimate), and a few other 
friends. It was served on the poop (covered as 
usual by an awning), and screened off from 
for'ard by the large ensign. A good deal of 



142 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

preparation was made ; and as two more Lands 
were required when " dishing-up " time came, 
Reed and I went aft, he helping to wait at table, 
I washing up the plates and dishes in the pan- 
tr}', and otherwise clearing up (in a double 
jense). The steward was already half-screwed 
when I first came, and did not fail to become 
totally so during the course of the next hour. 
He insisted on flavouring a dish of Normandy 
pippins with Worcester sauce, and would not 
allow me to interfere. As he staggered out of 
the door towards the poop-ladder, I stopped 
decanting a bottle of sherry to hear the effect 
of his seasoning, and was already laughing in 
anticipation, when a sudden crash, followed by 
the rolling of a heavy body on the main-deck, 
brought me quickly out of the pantry. The 
steward had missed his footing on the top step 
of the ladder, and, breaking the dish in the fall, 
had scattered the ill-used pippins to all points 
of the compass. I informed the captain that 
the steward and pippins had come to grief, and 
he was thus saved the mortification of having 
the obnoxious mixture handed to his friends. 
Like most drunken people, the steward ap- 



MORE CHANGES. 143 

peared none the worse for his fall; and after 
trying hard but failing to do any more mischief, 
he settled down in a sound sleep by the after- 
capstan. By one o'clock the guests had de- 
parted, the captain and his wife had retired to 
their cabin, the steward lay fast asleep on the 
quarter-deck outside the passage-door, and the 
second steward (a Chinaman) and Eeed were 
busy clearing away on the poop. For his 
drunkenness the steward was discharged a few 
days afterwards. 

The second mate (shipped in Hong-Kong), 
wishing to get to Australia, asked for his dis- 
charge, and went aboard a bark named the 
Belted Will, bound for Sydney. He was a 
strange fellow, a Jerseyman, a thorough " fore- 
castle man" (always siding with the men), 
which latter quality, however, he carried a little 
too far — as, for instance, when the chief mate 
left him to superintend any work for'ard, he 
soon found his way into the forecastle, where 
he yarned with the men who had followed his 
example. Of course this could not have lasted. 



144 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 



CHAPTEE VIII. 



FOR SHANGHAI. 



Over five weeks had passed since our arrival, 
and we still remained without a freight ; and, 
sailor-like, we began to speculate freely upon 
our destination, aided by the customary un- 
fathomable rumours. One day it was reported 
that we were going to Formosa to load coals for 
Borneo ; then that the captain had accepted a 
charter of tea back to Sydney. At last it 
transpired that he had arranged to take a 
native cargo of " poles " (trunks of trees) to 
Shanghai, in the hopes of securing a tea-freight 
there for London. The owners had written to 
him, attacking him severely for his want of suc- 
cess; and being a thoroughly conscientious man, 
he seemed to feel it. Having bent the sails,* we 



LOADING "POLES." 145 

manned the windlass, and, the anchors tripped, 
we slowly drifted up at flood-tide with the 
three upper topsails set, although for want of 
wind they hung lazily down the masts. We let 
go the anchors again somewhere abreast of the 
British Consulate, the usual moorings for vessels 
loading " poles." To prevent too much drift in 
swinging with the tide (which would naturally 
be the case if a ship let go both anchors at 
once), and consequently fouling other craft, one 
anchor is let go, while she has still way on, 
with sixty fathoms, and bringing up at that, the 
other is dropped with thirty fathoms, allowing 
that length to be hove in upon the other, which 
equalises the length upon both at thirty; so 
that although the vessel still swings with the 
tide, she only does so in her own length. 

Large rafts are formed of these logs of timber 
and drifted down the river to the ships and 
junks. To get them aboard they begin by 
rigging a floating stage alongside the main 
hatch ; and resting oh this and the ship's side, 
on a level with the main-deck, are placed half- 
a-dozen of the logs, on which they slide the 
others up; and being very slimy from their 



14$ TWO YEARS ABAFT TEE MAST. 

watery journey, but very 'little exertion is 
required. Three or four men (natives) are 
occupied in floating the logs, end on to the 
beam, to the stage, where each is partly hauled 
out of the water by two men to within reach 
of the next two men, who pass it on in their 
turn, till it shoots on deck through the port, 
when, guided and checked, it dives down the 
hatchway. Each man is armed with a long 
stick tipped with a sharp hook or curved spike, 
which they dig into the timber ; and as they all 
clap on and haul together, they keep time by 
singing a strange, monotonous air. 

The resident doctor was a crack hand at boat- 
sailing, and with his little Chinese-rigged craft 
he had both raced and beaten nearly all the 
ships' boats that had contended with him. 
Having challenged us, our cutter was launched 
from off the skids, and speedily rigged and 
ballasted. She looked all that could be desired, 
excepting being rather wet, caused by a pro- 
voking leak, which kept one hand constantly 
baling out. She was placed in charge of the 
chief mate, who had with him Turner (acting 
second mate since the discharge of that officer) 



A BOAT-RACE. 147 

and two men. To our great surprise we won 
by a considerable distance. But I think the 
strong breeze then blowing had a good deal to 
do with it, as the doctor's light boat had to 
take in canvas when our heavy cutter had every 
inch set. Still we felt proud of the victory. 

We were fast loading ; rafts came down every 
morning, sometimes before daybreak, their 
wretched navigators rousing us out on deck 
with an abomination of yells, asking for a rope's 
end to bring up by before the strong tide carried 
them past the ship. In ordinary routine and 
work one day was like another. Eoused out 
at half-past five by the night-watchman, Bill 
Baker, a North German by birth, but certainly 
not by name or tongue (sailors soon lose their 
instincts of nationality by sailing in foreign 
ships: indeed I have noticed this among 
English seamen who had always sailed in 
English ships ; the roving life, the outcast con- 
dition of the profession, and their familiarity 
with all parts of the World in general and none 
in particular — all go a great way in making 
a cosmopolitan man of the mercantile tar), 
we fetched our coffee from the galley, lit our 



148 TWO YE AILS ABAFT THE MAST. 

pipes, and lay on our chests collecting our 
sleepy senses till six o'clock, when the second 
mate, "Mr" Turner, would stroll for'ard, and 
sing out a deep, short " turn to," and invariably 
looking in the house, adding, "Now then, 
you chaps, tumble up ! When I was a young 
apprentice I always set an example to the men 
by being first on deck," — or something of that 
strain. Pannikins and sugar-pots were bundled 
away in the locker, and belts and sheath-knives 
buckled on. The head -pump was rigged, the 
coil of the canvas hose being rolled down on 
the main-deck, and the end put in the wash- 
deck tub, which it was the apprentices' duty to 
keep constantly filled with water, while Turner 
hove bucketfuls right and left for the men to 
sweep and clean with. As the decks were 
washed down fore and aft, this job occupied us 
till breakfast, eight o'clock. After the hour 
allowed for breakfast, we were set to work 
again, some repairing the rigging, two or three 
sail-mending. Others would be occasionally 
employed at painting, as there is always more 
or less of that going on in port in fine weather. 
We apprentices got all sorts of jobs, cleaning 



LIFE ON BOARD. 149 

out a cabin aft, or helping the hands aloft by 
holding the tar and grease pots and " passing 
the ball." The heat was very great aloft though, 
which made us feel glad to get down again. At 
one o'clock we went to dinner, fore and aft, and 
came on deck again at 2 p.m. We then re- 
sumed our respective work until 5 or 5.30 p.m., 
when the A.B.'s went below, the ordinary sea- 
men and ourselves following after having swept 
and tidied up the decks " ship-shape and Bris- 
tol fashion." At six o'clock the cook, stream- 
ing with perspiration, and nearly baked him- 
self, would sing out from his galley " Tea ho ! " 
signal for us to get our hook-pots filled, and 
fetch our kid of hash, which the cook favoured 
us by making out of the meat left from dinner. 
After this meal we did what we liked. Some 
bathed, others sat on the forecastle-head smok- 
ing or yarning or playing cards, while a few 
mended their clothes. But by far the greater 
number went in for a swim ; and glorious sport 
we had, diving, racing, and ducking others, to 
be ducked in turn one's self. At dusk we 
generally gathered on the forecastle-head, where 
one of the older sailors would strike up a good 



150 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

old sea-going song, which we joined in at the 
chorus, as did frequently the crews of the 
nearer ships. The best singer was an A.B. we 
shipped in Hong-Kong, and who afterwards 
became cook. He was a dry, comical fellow, 
and had been a " John-o'-fight " (man-o'-war's- 
man). His songs were capital in every way, 
but the one which always sent us raving in 
sympathy of mind and heart was one entitled 
"The Merchant Shipping Act" — a clever, ironi- 
cal skit upon that blundering piece of marine 
red-tapism. It was a little deficient in rhyme, 
but Jack does not mind that so long as his feel- 
ings are expressed. The chorus went — 

" So what's the use of growling when you know you get your 
1 whack ' — 

Tea, sugar, and coffee, and everything exact ? 
So what's the use of growling when you know it is a fact — 

Lime-juice and vinegar according to the Act ? " 

I forgot to mention that at eight every morn- 
ing two apprentices had to hoist the flags — one 
the ensign, and the other the " house flag " at 
the main — this latter job being by far the most 
troublesome, as it necessitated climbing up in 
the top, the halyards being too short to lead 



A DECK- LOAD. 161 

down on deck. We, like most other ships, took 
our time from the man-o'-war; and consequently, 
directly the first sound of their bell was heard, 
Reed and I (junior apprentices' duty) made a 
rush aft for the ensign, the lighter task. 

By nine o'clock all was still. We had taken 
up our bedding to the forecastle-head, and were 
all more or less endeavouring to obtain that 
sweet restorer meted out by Morpheus. 

After the hold was full, the hatches were 
battened down, and the ropes coiled up in the 
rigging to make clear for a deck-load, which 
was to be "flush" with the top of the bulwarks. 
Sailors do not like deck-loads. It hampers up 
the ship ; but that is the least of the evils. In 
bad weather it is almost impossible to walk 
about ; and one is in constant danger of being 
washed overboard. Besides, we knew what the 
consequences would be of shipping a sea ; the 
timber would be floated up, and the big logs 
rolling under our feet would place us in immi- 
nent peril. All we could do was to hope for a 
fine-weather passage up to Shanghai, which was 
very doubtful, as the season was setting in fur 
the change of monsoons. In the China seas 



152 TWO YEARS ABAFT TEE MAST. 

the wind blows for six months of the year from 
the S. W., and the other six from N.E. ; and 
during the five or six weeks' interval of shifting, 
those furious storms known as typhoons take 
place. As we were now in the month of Sep- 
tember, the S.W. monsoon was about giving 
way to the N.E.; frequent squalls occurring, 
and the wind shifting round to all points of the 
compass in the course of a day. 

Turner, our acting second mate, received 
orders from the captain to take his. chest aft 
and occupy the second mate's berth. He was 
in high spirits when he came into the house 
one morning after breakfast and told us the 
news, which, for our own part, we were not 
sorry to hear, as, being senior apprentice, and 
within a month of the expiration of his inden- 
tures, he considered himself much above us; 
and being terribly conceited and self-willed, he 
could make it very unpleasant for us when he 
liked. Still he was a good -hearted fellow, 
giving away freely anything he possessed. 
After he had cleared out his chest and bedding, 
a dispute arose between Eeed and me as to who 
should take his bunk. When Mr Paxton left 



CHANGE IN THE "HOUSE" 153 

us in Newcastle, KS.W., M'Ewan claimed his 
bunk. (The top bunks are greatly preferred, 
as there is more room ; and in bad weather, a 
sea breaking in through the doorway very sel- 
dom wets them,' whereas the lower ones are 
often drenched.) Eeed then took M'Ewan's 
bunk, as his own was athwartship, and so nicely 
placed under two ventilators in the roof, which 
were screwed half open, and rusted at that, 
that whenever a sea broke over the house, or it 
rained heavily, his bed resembled a marsh more 
than anything else. So M'Ewan occupied the 
top, and Eeed the lower bunk, on the starboard 
side; while Turner and I still held top and 
lower one respectively on the port side. . Eeed 
laid claim to Turner's bunk because he had 
never had one that was properly his own, whilst 
I based my right on that of rotation. However, 
having proposed drawing for it, I lost, and Eeed 
had it ever afterwards. We were now three in 
the house, the " thwartships " and port lower 
bunks remaining vacant. We felt free to do as 
we liked, and certainly things went smoother in 
the messing at sea. 

At last we hoisted the blue-peter at the fore, 



154 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

and took the last " pole " inboard, Saturday, 30tb 
August. Sunday, we smoked and yarned on 
the forecastle-head, and bade farewell to the 
desolate barren mountains seven weeks after 
we first beheld them. Early Monday morning, 
1st September, the native pilot came aboard, 
and having weighed anchor, we proceeded slowly 
down the anchorage, surrounded by swarms of 
sampans, under charge of the pilot, to guide the 
ship ; but for all the good they do, and all the 
strength they exert, ships could manage as well 
without them. The wind blew up the river, 
and we had the satisfaction of foreseeing a beat 
down to the sea, or rather a drift down, as, with 
a head -wind in a narrow river, vessels drop 
down broadside on as far as the ebb tide will 
carry them, when they let go their anchor and 
wait- for the next ebb. On account of the dis- 
tance to the sea, we could not possibly do it 
under two days, and very likely would take., 
more. 

Having reached the end of the anchorage 
where the narrow river opens out, it came on to 
blow rather strong, which obliged the captain to 
drop anchor. Being eight o'clock, we went to 



DRIFTING DOWN. 155 

breakfast after having furled all the sails. During 
the rest of the day, we were employed at various 
work upon the rigging, and lashing the harness- 
casks on the quarter-deck — just sufficient space 
being left to allow the two passage-doors to be 
opened, the timber reaching from thence to the 
break of the forecastle for'ard, and which doors, 
and those on either side of our berth, as well as 
the galley, the timber left tolerably clear. The 
weather brightening up in the night, but still 
with a head -wind, we hove up at 5 a.m. and 
proceeded on our difficult way, broadside on — 
and a heavier task it would be difficult to find. 
Such narrow parts has this river Min, that it is 
sometimes only three or four ships' lengths in 
width. Backing and filling, hauling the yards 
round, hoisting the jibs, and brailing in the 
spanker, or vice versd, we had enough to do ; and 
by the time the tide slackened, and we dropped 
anchor at 1 p.m., we had barely any breath left 
in us. The wind having died away to a gentle 
breeze, we left the sails hanging, trimming the 
yards to the wind, and went to dinner. After 
dinner, Turner came for'ard and told Eeed and 
me to go aft to shift some bales of native pror 



156 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

duce stored in the cuddy. We "growled" a 
bit at having to work when all the hands were 
nesting. Apprentices are always blessed with 
these odd jobs, forecastle hands never being- 
called on deck when off duty, excepting when 
urgently required. We hove up again at seven 
in the evening and resumed our slow journey, 
which we could not have done had it not been 
near full moon and a clear sky. I was stationed 
on the poop with Eeed, giving the lead to a 
dozen natives (pilot's gang) working the main 
braces and spanker. We had less hauling about 
than in the morning, probably because of the 
moonlight equalising visibly the distances from 
either shore. I had thus occasionally a little 
time to look about me, and contemplate the 
moonlit scenery. What fantastic shapes the 
rocks on the mountains had, and what a wild, 
melancholy aspect the whole view bore ! The 
horse-shoe-shaped white stone graves of native 
grandees of bygone days shone clearly out from 
the dark mountain-sides, sadly reflecting the soft 
rays of the moon ; and as we glided noiselessly 
along on the black water, the jib-boom end some- 
times almost apparently touching the rocky 



MOONLIGHT SCENERY. 157 

sides, I thought it a beautifully romantic sight. 
But my thoughts were suddenly brought back 
again to their everyday sphere by a stern voice 

sounding close by, " Hi there, S ! don't you 

hear ? starboard main brace," which was the 
captain's, who was walking the poop smoking a 
cigar. The tide having nearly ceased flowing, 
we dropped anchor at 11.30 P.M., and furled the 
sails. We gladly rolled into our bunks and 
got what sleep we could before six the follow- 
ing morning, when we were roused out with 
" Man the windlass there, lads ; " and tumbling 
up on the forecastle-head, we took to our old 
work again of walking round the windlass 
heaving up the anchor. We worked with a 
will, as this was to be the last of the " dropping 
down," this tide being sufficient to carry us 
down to the sea, which we reached in the after- 
noon. We left the anchorage on Monday morn- 
ing, and this was Wednesday afternoon; we 
had thus been three days in traversing a dis- 
tance we might have covered in as many hours 
had the wind been fair. Unfortunately the 
breeze died away to a calm at the mouth of the 
river, and we had to drop anchor again, with 



158 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

the blue expanse of sea stretching out before us. 
During the latter part of the day we crossed the 
royal yards, and the native pilot left us — the 
European sea-pilot taking his place. At eight 
o'clock we "chalked" for watches, and my 
mark being rubbed out amongst the last, I got 
all night in. 

At four o'clock next morning, Thursday, we 
weighed anchor, loosed the sails from royals 
downwards, and, wafted by a gentle bpeeze from 
land, we stood out to sea under a cloudless sky, 
with the sun already making his presence felt. 
We were not favoured long, for a calm suc- 
ceeded the breeze when near some banks, on 
which a current was slowly drifting us. The 
quarter-boat was at once lowered, manned by 
four men; and with a rope made fast on the 
forecastle-head, they succeeded, after two hours' 
hard pulling, in hauling us clear into deep 
water. The poor fellows were done up when 
they came aboard again; for pulling under a 
sun which by this time was little less than 
scorching, was enough for any man. However, 
no breeze springing up, we had to drop anchor 
and wait for it. The heat was very great, an<} 



AT SEA ONCE MORE. 159 

told upon us more than usual. The captain 
was walking the poop with a wet handkerchief 
tied round his head. A lot of fishing-boats lay- 
not far from us, their occupiers, in bold defiance 
of personal appearance, being utterly destitute 
of clothing. In the afternoon a sea - breeze 
sprang up, and we once more manned the wind- 
lass. We braced the yards sharp up, set every 
inch of canvas that would draw, and quietly 
glided through the smooth green water, with 
the wind just free. As evening drew on, the 
coast, with its ranges of dried sandy hills, 
gradually grew fainter; and anticipating the 
breeze would freshen as we cleared the land, we 
already began calculating how many days it 
would take to get to Shanghai, about 400 miles 
distant. After our long stay in port — namely, 
two months — things were out of sea-order fore 
and aft ; and the first few spare moments we had 
we set to lashing, squaring, and " chocking off." 
Bottles which for weeks past had been standing 
here, there, and anywhere, were now stowed 
in snug corners and chocked off with bits of 
wood. Oilskin suits and sou'westers were 
sorted and hung up on their respective owners' 



160 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

nails, and our chests all got more or less 
securely lashed (more often less, as proved 
by many a treacherous roll). The steward, a 
Chinaman, was equally busy in the pantry ; not 
a hook but what held a cup or a jug, while 
saucers, plates, and dishes found safe quarters 
in shallow lockers. A sudden lurch plays " old 
gooseberry " with a careless steward. 

By seven o'clock we were abreast of the 
" White Dogs " group of islands, and here the 
wind again fell to a dead calm. Sea -rules 
began at eight o'clock by the port watch being 
sent below. A little incident occurred this 
night which goes far to prove the cause of 
no small number of wrecks and collisions. 
The ship lay like a log in the water, and 
everything was as motionless as death. Not 
a breath of air nor cat's-paw rippled the glassy 
surface of the sea, which reflected unbroken 
the full moon, who in her turn held full sway 
above, unmolested by cloud or mist. A long 
silent swell, like the heaving of the chest, was 
only noticed by the moon's disc gradually 
lengthening, and then disappearing for a few 
seconds. The sails hung lazily down the 



AN ENCHANTED WATCH. 161 

masts. Everything slept, and seemingly en- 
treated us to do the same. We needed but too 
little pressing. Unable to keep my eyes open 
any longer, I lay down on the quarter-deck and 
was soon in the land of dreams. When I awoke 
I at once ran into the cuddy to see the time, for 
I felt I had been asleep a good while. It was 
exactly eight bells (midnight) ; and going on the 
poop to strike it, I found Turner, the officer of 
the watch, sound asleep on one of the hencoops, 
and the man at the wheel asleep on the wheel- 
box. I looked about me, but could see nothing 
moving ; the moon shone brightly on a fine ship 
practically abandoned for the time being, and 
that, too, in a rocky sea. There was no man on 
the look-out, and the rest of the watch lay scat- 
tered about the logs on the main-deck. I struck 
eight bells, which had a magical effect. The 
officer sprang up as if thunderstruck, and com- 
menced pacing the deck as usual. The helms- 
man quickly stood beside the wheel, mechani- 
cally looking at the sails, then at the compass, 
and fidgeting with the spokes; and I noticed 
a shadow (the " look-out " ) scrambling up the 
ladder on to the forecastle head (over which 



162 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

ladder the foresail cast a shade), and emerging 
into the moonlight he repeated the eight bells 
as if nothing out of the way had happened. 
Having called the mate, who, with all his 
faults, seldom delayed in turning out, I went 
for'ard and roused out Eeed ; and the " wheel " 
and "look-out " being relieved, I, with the rest of 
the starboard watch, turned in. The port watch 
all slept so soundly through their watch also 
that we were not called until 5 A.M., one hour 
after the proper time. They might have slept 
on longer too, had it not been for the steward, 
who is always called at five, and who awoke of 
himself. Now for nearly eight hours that night 
the vessel was left to take care of herself — 
whether against rocks, squalls, or collisions, as, 
of course, being a clear moonlight, we carried 
no lights. To save their oil, ships never burn 
their side lights when out on the open sea, ex- 
cepting in crossing a well - frequented track. 
The captain knew nothing of the affair, as he 
went below soon after eight o'clock and did not 
come on deck again till 7 A.M. The above in- 
stance is the only one I can remember where the 
watch below were not called at eight bells; and 



THREATENING WEATHER. 163 

although the officer of the watch and spare 
hands on duty have certainly been asleep at the 
same time on other occasions, yet the "look- 
out" and the helmsman were always awake. 

Calms and light airs prevailed without inter- 
mission until Wednesday -following, and we 
made but little progress. The boundless blue 
water surrounded us,. and we felt as if we were 
bound out agair on a three months' voyage. 
Early on Wednesday morning the wind shifted 
round to the N.E., dead ahead ; but we did our 
best by bracing the yards up as far as the back- 
stays would allow, at the same time heading in 
towards the land. When our watch came on 
deck at eight o'clock that morning the sky 
looked threatening. Small detached clouds of 
a pale smoky appearance drifted over us with 
the wind, and the sea was rising as the wind 
steadily increased. I was standing on the lee 
side of the house making 5-yarn sennit, when 
I heard the order, " Clew up the fore-royal," 
quickly followed by " Clew up the main royal." 
I sprang up the fore-rigging, and furled the fore- 
royal, while M'Ewan was at the main. The sea 
looked wild enough up there, reflecting the &axk 



164 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

leaden colour of the sky, and the white-crested 
waves tumbling one over the other. Before 
the end of the watch we had taken in the three 
top -gallant sails; and when the port watch 
relieved us at noon, we made haste over our 
dinner and turned in, for a black night was 
awaiting us. The wind was increasing fast, 
and we felt the stout craft shiver under us, as 
the foresail blew out of the bolt-ropes while 
they were trying to take it in. I knew what 
was coming. The door flew open, and Eeed, 
rushing in with a " Hands on deck : reef top- 
sails there ! " we slipped out of our bunks, 
growling at the port watch never doing their 
work, and things of that sort, thoroughly sailor- 
like. The foresail was a mass of rags, slashing 
furiously in the wind, and all we could do was 
to cut them away. Later on, while reefing the 
fore and main topsails, the inner and outer jibs 
were carried away. Seas now began to sweep 
over the bulwarks, floating the wood, and hurt- 
ing our feet and legs (for want of boots I was 
barefooted), besides throwing us down at almost 
every step. The ropes also fared no better, 
many having to be cut away from the timber 



A PIPING NIGHT. 166 

having rolled over them. It was our middle 
watch that night, and a treat we had. I was 
on the look-out for the first two hours (12 to 2 
a.m.) ; the only safe place being on some spars 
on the top of the house, reaching past the lee 
side of the foremast to the forecastle -head. 
Hanging on to the topsail-sheets, and sheltered 
by the foremast, I escaped the seas and spray, 
which at times swept under me. When I was 
relieved at four bells, I found the watch aft 
on the quarter-deck, the second mate having 
ordered them there because they could not hear 
his voice for'ard. We lay on the logs, wet 
through by the heavy spray sweeping over us, 
and shivering with the cold, until something 
presently occurred to warm us. A sudden 
crash, followed by a whirring roar, plainly told 
us the fate of the fore lower topsail. We were 
soon up the fore-rigging, and hanging out on 
the yard as best we could. Speaking of one's 
hands, an old sailor's ditty says, " One for the 
ship and one for yourself," when up aloft ; and 
now was the time to put it in practice. It was 
a hand-to-hand fight. George, an A.B., a 
thoroughly good-hearted man, next to me, was 



166 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

swearing formidably on account of a piece of 
the sail in slatting having taken a turn round 
his neck, which got some unpleasant tugs when 
the canvas filled. After a hard job we man- 
aged to secure the pieces, until daylight, by 
passing the gaskets round them. 

The morning brought a less violent wind, 
although it still blew hard, and we could set 
nothing above upper topsails ; the sea, too, ran 
very high. Soon after breakfast a pilot-boat 
hove in sight, and we backed the main-topsail, 
and waited for her to come up, ploughing over 
and sinking behind the big waves like a nut- 
shell. The first orders the pilot (an American) 
gave when he got aboard was to " wear ship," 
as we were heading in close to the land. 
" Stations ! " sang out the captain. And as she 
paid off, "square the crossjack yards" (appren- 
tice's station), "ease off main bow-line and 
tack," and "haul up the weather-clew of the 
mainsail" "Slack away the main-sheet and 
haul up the lee-clew." "Square your main- 
yard." "Let go your fore-bow-line, ease off 
fore-sheet, and brace in your fore-yards." We 
now had a few moments' spell, and as she flew 



WEARING AND TACKING. 167 

off before the wind, " board fore and main tacks " 
and " haul aft main-sheet." As she came up on 
t"he other side, "haul aft the fore-sheet" and 
" trim your yards up." What a supreme state of 
confusion and excitement "wearing ship" and 
"tacking ship" must appear to a landsman, 
especially in such a sea as this, sometimes 
towering above, then vanishing below us ! The 
incomprehensible orders of the captain and 
mates, the rapidity with which they are ex- 
ecuted by the men, with their taking yet 
wild songs as they pull together, the innumer- 
able ropes flying about everywhere, and the 
sails flapping with their iron clews, and chain- 
sheets beating the most discordant sounds, must 
convey to him an impression of the impossibil- 
ity of the good vessel ever looking " ship-shape 
and Bristol fashion " again. 

It was my wheel from 12 to 2 p.m. in the 
afternoon, and as the wind had veered round to 
the S.W., we were standing straight in for the 
Yang-tsi-Kiang river under square yards v The 
ship flew about from side to side like a dolphin, 
shipping seas and wetting the watch, who each 
time held up their clenched fists at me with 



168 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

uncomfortable significance. At last a climax 
came. They were hauling down the inner jib 
on the forecastle - head, and notwithstanding 
my utmost endeavours to meet a heavy sea that 
came swelling on to us, it dashed itself against 
the bows and Hooded the forecastle-head with 
foam and spray. The poor fellows were wet 
through ; but the captain sent an able seaman, 
Dick Lane, to the wheel to relieve me. He was 
a coloured man of about fifty years of age, and 
went by the name of " old father Dick," as much 
from his being the oldest man aboard, as on ac- 
count of his good-natured and orderly qualities. 
A very curious effect produced by phosphores- 
cence occurred in the second dog-watch. The 
wind and sea had still further gone down, and 
we had loosed the fore and main top-gallant 
sails. Going on the forecastle-head to have a 
yarn with George (his look-out), he pointed out 
to me a faint light on the lee horizon, just 
like that thrown by a large town; Although 
we knew full well no land could possibly be in 
that quarter, I went aft on the .poop and told 
Turner, who at first was going to tell the pilot, 
who at the time was below with the captain. 



PHOSPHORESCENCE. 169 

However, deciding to wait till the evening grew 
darker, a very remarkable change took place. 
The brightness steadily increased until the sky 
over it became quite illuminated, and as we 
closely watched it, we found it to be advanc- 
ing and spreading towards us, and to consist of 
nothing else but phosphorescence. Travelling 
rapidly on, it surrounded us like a sea of blue 
fire, the white sails reflecting the light in a 
beautiful manner. At last it vanished away 
on the weather horizon after a lapse of two 
hours since we first observed it on the other 
side. This was the brightest display that had 
ever been seen by any man aboard. 

Saturday afternoon, 14th September, we en- 
tered the Yang-tsi-Kiang, the lead being kept 
constantly going from the main -chains, as 
shoals are but indifferently marked here. No- 
thing can be said of the scenery: it is level 
and unpicturesque ; in fact, in many parts it 
strongly resembles the Thames below London. 
The water was of ' a muddy colour, and bore 
a good sprinkling of European shipping, and 
the day being thick and cloudy, made the 
similarity all the more marked. We took in 



170 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

the sails one by one, and evening approaching, 
we dropped anchor at six o'clock, and hav- 
ing " chalked " for watches we turned in, mine 
falling from 12 to 1 A.M. The following morn- 
ing, Sunday, before daybreak a steam-tug came 
alongside flying the Yankee ensign, and made 
fast to us ; and having weighed anchor by five 
o'clock, we proceeded in tow, and with the tide 
up, to Shanghai City. Luckily the wind having 
hauled round ahead we had no sails to loose, so I 
had more time than usual to look about me. We 
passed a large American-built river-steamboat 
painted all white, of which there are several in 
Shanghai doing the carrying trade between the 
principal river ports. Towards 1 p.m. the tide 
failing us, the tug cast off and we let go the 
anchor, all hands going to dinner. Between 5 
and 6 p.m. we hove up, the tug towing us as 
before. We soon after passed one of the finest 
specimens of our merchant navy, a P. and 0. 
steamer. Being the first I had ever seen, I was 
much struck with her fine appearance. Her 
well- set-up rigging and clean hull, all uniform 
black, might have rivalled a man -o'- war for 
neatness. 



THE YANQ-TSLKIANG. 171 

As we approached the city, I thought my first 
idea of comparing the Yang-tsi-Kiang to the 
Thames still more justified. In the distance 
could be seen a crowding of masts, by a bend of 
the river, appearing inland, like ships in the 
Milwall or West India Docks ; and one par- 
ticular reach bore a strong likeness to the north 
bank of the Thames between Blackwall and 
Greenwich, only wanting the huge vessels on 
the stocks and Cubitt Town pier to complete the 
illusion. We anchored for the night below the 
shipping, waiting for the morning to be berthed 
higher up. A strange fatality seems to have 
overruled our Sundays. We entered Portland 
on a Sunday, we also entered Sydney on a Sun- 
day, and the same day saw us into Hong-Kong 
and Foo-chow, and now again Shanghai. Sailors 
do not like going into port of a Sunday, as they 
believe captains arrange it purposely to get an 
extra day's work out of them. 



172 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 



CHAPTER IX. 



SHANGHAI. 



At eight the next morning we towed slowly 
up past the shipping lining either side. I was 
stationed at the gaff-signal-halyards to dip the 
ensign as customary to the various men-o'-war 
in harbour. We arichored abreast of the French 
town. Shanghai is the head-centre of European 
commerce in China. The city is divided into 
four distinct parts, each governed by its own 
laws. The lower end is the American town, 
the English town comes next, then the French 
town, and finally and highest up the river stands 
the native Chinese town. The English is by 
far the most important, as its wider streets and 
handsomer buildings denote. Vessels of all 
nations lay in the stream below us ; above, the 



CHINESE PIRATES. 173 

river swarmed with literally a forest of masts 
rising from junks and other native craft. In 
accordance with one of their strange supersti- 
tions, they beat gongs and drums every evening 
at sunset for half an hour or so, causing the most 
diabolical noise. The same furious devotion or 
antipathy to the evil spirits is also manifest 
whenever a junk is about to sail, every man of 
the crew either beating a gong or a drum, and 
as far as noise is concerned, most creditably. 
But it always struck me they had much more 
to fear from their own kind than from any evil 
spirit. In support of this, the over-armed con- 
dition of nearly every junk is evident : few but 
what carry four to half-a-dozen cannons of sus- 
picious looks and qualities, and equally danger- 
ous to either side, although, if I had the choice, 
I would sooner be fired at by one than fire one 
off. The China seas abound with pirates, who, 
within the last few years, limit themselves to 
attacking native craft as a rule, although occa- 
sionally they still attack Europeans, and some- 
times with success. 

Two days after our arrival, a gang of natives 
came alongside, and we commenced unloading 



174 TWO YEARS ABAFT TEE MAST. 

the " poles." We lay near an Italian gunboat, 
whose crew of an evening sang some most ex- 
quisite melodies in parts, rendered with the 
proficiency characterising a musical nation. 
But their excellence in song was not shared 
by their seamanship ; and compared with any 
ordinary English man-o'-war, they were both 
slow and careless in their duties. 

On the Sunday, I went ashore in the morn- 
ing with M'Ewan to church, and after some 
inquiries as to localities, we entered Trinity 
Church, the most fashionable one in the town. 
It is a fine building of red brick, ornamented 
with white stone, and the music during the 
service was particularly pretty. It looked 
strange to see the English policeman in white 
felt helmet, loose jacket and white trousers, on 
one side of the boundary-line, and, on the other, 
the true type of the French gendarme, formi- 
dable in his cocked-hat and military tunic with 
long swallow-tails, and large white trousers, 
against which dangled his 4p4e. And I could 
not help noticing the elegantly-cut and well- 
fitting dress of the latter, contrasting as it did 



NATIVE BOATMEN. 175 

with the clumsily-shaped, thorough British rig- 
out of the former. 

There is some difficulty in getting on and 
off shore here, especially in going aboard late 
at night; and instances are known of sailors, 
partly intoxicated, being thrown overboard after 
the sampan rascals had rifled their pockets. 
For this latter reason, I was always careful to 
choose a sampan with as few hands as possible. 
They generally ask as fare ten cents, but are well 
contented with two or three. However, happen- 
ing to be later than usual one night, I thought 
I should have been unable to get aboard, as the 
tide was running down so strong that no sam- 
pan would shove off; but after walking some 
distance up the river and to windward-like of 
the ship, I found two men who took me for 
a quarter - dollar, money down. They pulled 
away into the middle of the river, and drifted 
the rest with the rapid current, I keeping a 
bright look-out for the vessel, as, if we missed 
her, there would have been no hope of getting 
alongside until the tide turned. 

There are some pretty gardens laid out by 



176 TWO YEARS ABAFT TEE MAST. 

the river — of course, in the English division. 
An amateur band, composed of gentlemen from 
the three towns, plays every Wednesday and 
Saturday from seven to ten. Strolling along 
the walks one evening, I met a young fellow 
belonging to the American ship Sea Serpent. 
He was well connected, and had been a cadet 
in the American navy, which he left on account 
of the discipline. He lived with the carpenter 
in the after-part of the deck-house — a very 
comfortable little berth; and although receiving 
the pay and classed as ordinary seaman in the 
ship's articles, yet he did not rank as one of the 
crew. I learnt something from him about the 
Yankee service. No apprentices are taken in 
American ships. If a youth with a superior 
education wished to follow the sea and become 
an officer, his father would seek an introduction 
to a captain, who, in consideration of a certain 
sum of money, would take him in the same 
way as my friend. "Brass buttons" are entirely 
unknown; and any one wearing even a " cheese- 
cutter," they call a " lime-juicer " (name given 
by Yankees to English ships and sailors because 
of their daily ration of lime-juice, which is not 



A CHINESE THEATRE. 177 

served out in American ships). He envied 
English apprentices their brass buttons and 
flags and anchors on their caps, and told me he 
was much struck with the more regular dis- 
cipline of our merchantmen. American mates 
are proverbially free in the use they make of 
belaying-pins. During our stay in Shanghai, a 
second mate so struck an ordinary seaman, that 
he died in consequence. Hauled up by the 
police, he was tried and found guilty of man- 
slaughter, and was duly imprisoned. 

I forgot to say that after coming out of church 
on the Sunday, M'Ewan returned aboard, whilst I 
determined to make a whole day ashore of it and 
buy my dinner somewhere. Walking leisurely 
along the Nankin Eoad, one of the principal 
thoroughfares of Shanghai, I noticed a crowd of 
natives come tumbling one over the other out of 
a passage or court. When things were somewhat 
quieted, I turned down the opening, as I saw an 
English policeman standing in a wide doorway. 
He beckoned to me to come near him, and he 
then informed me that the place at the door of 
which he kept order was a "sing-song," otherwise 
a Chinese theatre ; and as he pressed me to go 

M 



178 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

in, saying, I should have nothing to pay, I en- 
tered. The interior was not unlike that of an 
English theatre in size, but everything fitted up 
in the plainest manner. The walls and indeed 
all the building were wood, with but little var- 
nish or paint about it, and the tiers of seats in 
the pit and elsewhere were of plain white wood. 
The seats were all filled : their occupants, men, 
women, and children (all natives — I being the 
only European present), eagerly watching the 
performance. A theatrical play in China fre- 
quently lasts a week or a fortnight, in most cases 
beginning with the birth of the hero, and ending 
with his death. The orchestra sat at the back 
of the stage, and instead of playing when no 
acting was going on, kept up a furious clash and 
din all the time the players were performing. 
I was entirely ignorant whether I was witnessing 
a comedy, tragedy, or opera-bouffe : there seemed 
to be a little of each. The scene never changed; 
it represented the interior of a large room or 
hall. A middle-aged man (apparently her 
father) was talking to a young girl. Then a 
young man, grotesquely dressed (if that is pos- 
sible beyond the usual Chinese costume), came 



A NATIVE ORCHESTRA. 178 

running on, and set the audience laughing with 
the questions he put, and the answers he gave 
to the girl. After a while these left the stage, 
which remained vacant for five minutes; the 
people composing the audience smoking and 
drinking tea served in diminutive cups, and, 
judging by the colour, of diminutive flavour. 
Presently two curtains were drawn, showing two 
doorways on each side of the stage ; from these 
a procession of young girls came on, their 
powdered and painted faces and darkened 
brows and eyelashes fairly competing with the 
most forward of our European actresses. After 
crossing and twirling, they went through a set 
of steps and dances, when they sang a song 
remarkable only for its peculiarity. The 
Chinese always sing in falsetto without any 
regard to tune, and in bold defiance of har- 
mony, and I have generally noticed they keep 
almost to one note : their musical instruments 
are nearly all monotonous. 

The orchestra is worth describing. An enor- 
mous gong, a pair of cymbals, a tamtam, a 
curiously-shaped piece of wood, a big wooden 
bowl standing on three legs and played with a 



180 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAS?. 

couple of sticks, a wind instrument closely 
resembling a cocoa-nut, which upon being blown 
into produces a sound like that of a hollow 
spinning-top ; and last, but not least, the fiddle 
— the Chinese fiddle. It is a bamboo tube, 
very thin, and about two feet long. Imagine 
a small spade with half the iron cut away, 
the remaining part wood instead of iron, and 
three or four inches deep, and hollow, and you 
will have a very good idea of its shape. Two 
strings of silk thread are stretched from the 
handle to the head, and are of course discord- 
ant, producing sounds which are absolutely 
infernal. Now a scrape, then a growl, a 
screech, a mew, a sonorous howl, and for a few 
seconds its noise is drowned in that of the com- 
paratively harmonious gong. The rattle of 
the sticks on the wooden drum varies in its 
force, and is incessant, excepting when a sud- 
den stop takes place, when, after a pause, a 
single note is struck with an overwhelming 
ring, and all go on with renewed vigour. Not 
content with the deafening uproar of their in- 
struments, one or two lend their voices to it; 



THE CHINESE FIDDLE. 181 

and being falsetto, with a range of three notes 
at the most, I leave you to guess the effect. 
The fiddle is the most common of all Chinese 
instruments. Sitting outside his house in the 
town, the Chinaman " accompanies " himself to 
his song in the evening twilight. On the 
water the twang is heard proceeding from 
some musical junk as night sets in; but the 
grinding of our cables with the sway of the 
tide produced such a remarkable similarity of 
sound that I was often unable to distinguish 
one from the other. I forgot to mention that 
they use no bow, but only the fingers. 

Two warriors, apparelled in the most fright- 
ful-looking garments as far as design went, 
although gorgeous in gold and red colouring 
and beading, armed with bow and arrows, 
lances, and huge swords, put these fair singers 
to flight, they afterwards fighting with their 
lances a furious duel, properly seasoned with a 
due amount of jumping, crossing, and shouting, 
and ending with one of the combatants getting 
killed. The man and his daughter then ap- 
peared and talked about something, and when 



182 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

they retired, some acrobats went through tol- 
erable feats of jumping and climbing. My 
friend the policeman had meanwhile brought 
me a bottle of stout and some cigars ; but not- 
withstanding, after two hours the horrid music 
began to tell on my stomach so severely that I 
was compelled to make my exit 



JfOO-GUOW AGAIN. 163 



CHAPTER X. 

FOO-CHOW AGAIN. 

In the course of a week all the timber was 
unloaded, but still no freight for tea could be 
obtained. Captain Ferguson was much put 
out at this : not having succeeded in Foo-chow, 
he relied upon Shanghai. But one course lay 
before us now : that of returning to Foo-chow 
and getting a charter for New York, the season 
for the American teas just then coming on. 
We filled up, enough to ballast us, with native 
croods and medicines, two dozen sheep, and 
about a dozen native passengers. Amongst 
the former was beancake, isinglass, compoy, 
and wheat, which nearly filled the lower hold, 
the passengers being located in the 'tween 
leeks. We left our moorings on Saturday the 



1& TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

27th September at noon, and towed down the 
river, dipping to, and answered by, the differ- 
ent men-o'-war. We passed several fine ships 
at anchor sadly disabled, some with their three 
masts gone, others without bulwarks. They 
had no doubt been through the same gale that 
assailed us coming here, only in a severer 
degree. We cast off the tug and came to 
anchor at dusk. In consequence of a head 
wind we were obliged to remain at anchor 
until Tuesday, when we hove up at 4 A.M., 
loosed sail, and forthwith proceeded out to sea 
on our passage to Foo-chow. Before leaving 
the river we passed the Sobraon, a fine ship, 
hoisting her three topsails by steam. 

Soon after clearing the coast the wind in- 
creased, and we took the royals and mizzen 
top-gallant sail in. Luckily it was a fair wind, 
a north-easter, and under its powerful impulse 
we boomed madly along with square yards, tb 
good ship almost burying her bows in a boiling 
heap of foam and spray, in her endeavours to 
keep pace with the black rolling clouds over- 
head. At eight bells of the first watch (mid- 
night) all hands were called to shorten sail It 



A STOTJlY NIGHT. 185 

blew a gale, and no time was to be lost in tak- 
ing in sail. The night was such as is usually 
met in heavy weather at sea : pitch dark, the 
mountainous seas, with outline marked by a 
faint phosphorescence, rising and vanishing 
like huge spectres, although showing their 
tangibility by sweeping over the decks and 
dashing the spray as high as the tops; the 
whole accompanied by a roar and howl which 
is truly indescribable, and cannot be equalled 
ashore. We stowed the mainsail, foresail, and 
the three upper topsails ; we were an hour up 
at the main. The wind being nearly aft, and 
the sea too heavy to allow of her being hauled 
up a few points, the sail remained full, and 
resembled more a sheet of iron than canvas. 
What with the beating rain and rolling of the 
ship, we had a hard time of it. At four bells 
(2 a.m.) the watch was sent below, and we 
remained alone on deck. I was coiling the 
ropes up on the poop, when, the skipper having 
gone below to look at the chart, Turner asked 
me to go for'ard and butter him a "cracker" 
(we had bought some butter between us before 
leaving Shanghai). I was reaching a biscuit 



186 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

out of the bread " barge," when the captain's 
voice, singing out for me, broke suddenly upop 
my ear. He asked me angrily what business 
I had for'ard during my watch on deck, and 
told me to fetch a bucket and soup-tin and 
cloth at once. I soon found out what was the 
matter. A heavy sea had struck the starboard 
quarter as she came up after a lurch, and burst- 
ing open the port of the captain's bedroom, had 
washed poor Mrs Ferguson clean out of bed, be- 
sides flooding the cabins and cuddy. The cap- 
tain had made a temporary bed for his wife on 
the deck in his state-room, it being an impos- 
sibility, from the rolling, to lie on the couch. 
After baling and swabbing and filling my 
bucket (which seemed to have as usual a pe- 
culiar knack of capsizing when three-quarters 
full) for half an hour, I managed to make the 
place look less damp ; and Mrs Ferguson kind- 
ly brought me half a tumbler of port for my 
trouble, which made me hope a similar casu- 
alty might soon happen again, bringing with it 
the same reward. 

At eight bells (4 A.M.), instead of turning in 
with the rest of the watch, I went to the galley 



A COOK'S TROUBLES. 187 

to fill the post of cook. Our cook had refused 
in Shanghai to do his duties any longer, being 
disgusted with the Chinaman steward, who was 
too wide awake for him, so he returned into the 
forecastle. Eeed took his place; but, soon 
getting tired of the work, persuaded me to try 
iny hand at it. Accordingly, as stated, I 
stepped into the galley at 4 A.M., and began 
lighting the fire, which for a whole hour obsti- 
nately refused to burn, and I was at my wits' 
end to know what to do, as I could get no 
coffee ready for the watch on deck at 5 o'clock 
as customary, and saw very little chance of 
being better prepared for the watch below at 
7.20. Having filled my coppers from the water- 
casks on the main hatch, I went aft and got 
from Mr Turner the day's rations of pork, — 
Wednesday being one of the pork and pea-soup 
days. The galley, never very clean in bad 
weather, presented a sad spectacle of dirt and 
wild confusion, not a little added to by Eeed 
while in office ; seas were tumbling in through 
the lee doorway, and took a special delight in 
stopping in as long as they could, rising some- 
times nearly to the fire. An ill-timed lurch 



188 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

capsized the kid of pork, which I had been 
obliged to put up to windward to keep it from 
being washed away, and sent the pieces of pork 
spinning into a heap of cinders; and a sea 
sweeping in at the moment, playfully washed 
the lot round the galley under my despairing 
gaze. I collected the pork together, and stowed 
them away again in the kid, cinders and all, 
and then began peeling some potatoes that the 
steward brought for the captain; but one by 
one, as I peeled them, they rolled away on their 
own account, sometimes in the water and some- 
times out, and seeing my inability to control 
t&em, I turned my attention to the water on 
the stove, which by this time had half ran away 
with the rolling of the ship. Tired of waiting 
for it to boil, I put in the coffee and sat on the 
coal-locker to let my legs and feet drip a bit. 
Perplexed as I felt as to how things would turn 
out, I could not help smiling at the ludicrous 
side of affairs in general. The pork-kid had 
again capsized, the pork recklessly chasing the 
kid from side to side, and the excitement of the 
scene well sustained by a couple of buckets 
frantically bent on banging anything anywhere. 



A COOK'S TROUBLES. 189 

As for the potatoes, they were having a fine 
time of it out on deck; indeed most of them 
had long since gone overboard. Presently 
seven bells were struck, and the watch below 
came for their coffee. I knew it was not 
nearly ready, and told them such was the case. 
Growling at the galley and the cook, they re- 
turned to the forecastle, partly satisfied with my 
assurance that the water would boil before eight 
bells. Nothing could make the water boil ; not 
even handfuls upon handfuls of " shakings " (odd 
bits of ropes, canvas, spun-yarn, and rope-yarns, 
collected when sweeping decks, and put on one 
side for sale ashore). Eight bells at last camog 
and with them the hook-pots, which I filled 
with a good deal of splashing, endeavouring if 
possible to sink the coffee, which floated like 
so much dust. But it would not do. First 
one brought his back, then another, whilst 
several threatened to make me drink some 
myse]f. Then the steward came to know how 
the potatoes were cooking. Startled at the 
question, I stepped back, and the ■ galley being 
for the moment free of water, trod on a hot 
coal just fallen from the grate with my bare 



190 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

foot. This settled everything so far as I 
concerned. Vowing I had had enough of the 
galley, I made off to the house, saying I did 
not care who succeeded me, but inwardly con- 
vinced that I had got well out of it. The A.B. 
whose resignation had caused all the muddle 
began to see things in a better light, and he 
forthwith became "doctor" again, eventually 
becoming a very good cook. This is the only 
time I ever acted as cook, upon which fact I 
might have equally congratulated myself and 
shipmates. 
•As the day advanced the weather cleared, 
and in the afternoon she was under her three 
top-gallant sails. The poor native passengers 
had had a sore time of it; the noise of the 
wind and sea, and rolling of the ship throughout 
the night, made them nearly all ill, but not 
sufficiently to deter them from their opium- 
smoking when the sky brightened up. During 
the first dog-watch we loosed the three royals, 
only a gentle breeze now blowing. Soon after 
we hauled her up, and stood in for the coast, 
which gradually became more distinct, showing 
a few vague lines of the mouth of the river 



THE MIN ONCE MORE. m 

Min. We all stood or sat on the forecastle-head, 
watching the water as it changed from blue to 
green, and the old ship, as she playfully dipped 
her nose in, plunging, bouncing, and rolling on 
towards land. The sun was setting in a clear 
sky, and neither ship nor crew looked any 
worse for the previous night's blow. The wind 
dying away as we neared the land, it was nine 
o'clock before we let go the anchor in the 
mouth of the river, after a fine run of thirty- 
two hours. Having furled the sails and coiled 
down the ropes, we went below and turned in. 

After washing decks next morning we had 
breakfast, and then had nothing to do until the 
afternoon sea-breeze set in. The sun poured 
down its burning rays on the barren rocky hills 
around, and, save the one or two little fishing- 
boats which might be seen moving out of a 
distant nook, nothing stirred. At two o'clock 
the sea-breeze set in, and immediately all was 
hurry and scurry. The mate came forward: 
"Now then, men, man the windlass;" and, 
looking into the house, " and you boys lay aloft 
and loose those royals and top-gallant sails ana 
topsails as you come down." "Ay, ay, sir: ' 



192 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAS1. 

and we sprang up our respective rigging, each 
one anxious to get done first. The anchor was 
soon catheaded, and with every inch of canvas 
spread to catch the light breeze, we glided 
slowly up ' the river at first ; but the wind 
shortly afterwards increasing, we bowled along 
at the rate of five or six knots against tide. At 
last we arrived at the wide open anchorage, 
and let go the anchors at about the same place 
as before — viz., abreast of Pagoda Island, 2d 
October. 

It was dusk by the time we had finished 
stowing the sails, and the cold of a Chinese 
autumn began to make itself felt up aloft. 
Everything looked much the same as when we 
left a month ago. The same desolate moun- 
tains ; the queer little island with its clusters of 
trees, showing here and there quaint bamboo 
houses; and they were nearly all the same 
ships in port, — the Duke of Abercorn, Belted 
Will, and Flintshire (steamer), being amongst 
them. The English gunboat Teazer lay in the 
same place, with her raking masts and "pea- 
soup . funnel showing off to advantage beside 
the Chinese gunboats, with their white funnels 



HOPES OF A TEA-FREIGHT. 193 

tipped with black, big out of all proportion 
to the vessel's size ; and being brig-rigged, 
French fashion, with ugly shears and worse 
sterns, they looked neither man -o'- war nor 
merchantmen. 

The following morning we began unloading 
our native cargo, and we all wondered whether 
we should get a freight of tea home at last. 
We watched with anxious looks the "tea- 
chops" as they sailed down on their way to 
the Duke of Abercorn, loading for London. 
The Forward-Ho had left a week before for the 
same port (after being out from London two 
years) ; and the Carmarthenshire and Lord 
Macaulay were gradually filling up. About a 
week after our arrival, at nine o'clock in fcne 
evening, I was walking the deck, thinking over 
what chances we had of getting a cargo, when 
a small "house-boat" noisily bore up alongside. 
A native, armed with a lantern, sprang on deck, 
and hastily inquired for the captain. Coming 
out on deck, the native handed him a large 
envelope containing a letter, which he rapidly 
scanned. He returned to his cabin, wrote a 
D/)te, and gave the same to the messenger, who 
N 



194 TWO YEARS ABAFT TEE MAST. 

at once stepped back into the boat and shoved 
off. All this of course seemed very mysterious, 
and upon going forward, I was assailed with all 
kinds of questions concerning its meaning ; but, 
knowing no more than they did, I could give 
no explanation beyond what we all more or less 
surmised. There could be no doubt but what 
it had something to do with the freight to 
come, and wild were the conjectures indulged 
in by many. Another day and we knew all. 
Our agents had sent down offering the cap- 
tain a freight of tea for New York, and he 
had accepted it. Those who had been to the 
"States" before became leading men. They 
painted a tolerably gloomy picture of what we 
might expect in the North Atlantic in the 
depth of winter, saying it could only be com- 
pared to the Horn. But hard as the prospects 
were, we knew it to be on our way home, and 
that consoled us considerably. 

Eeed, who had been acting steward since 
leaving Shanghai, with a young Chinaman un- 
der him, got into hot water with the captain 
one evening, which ended in his being dis- 
charged from office. In laying the tea-things 



REED "MAST-HEADED." 195 

in the cuddy, the Chinaman refused to do some- 
thing or other; and when told by Eeed that he 
must, he turned "cheeky." The consequence 
was, Eeed " plugged " him in the eye, besides 
nearly knocking two front teeth out. When 
the Chinaman related his tale to the captain, 
he sent for Eeed, told him he need not enter 
the pantryagain, and "mast-headed " him there 
and then, to await his pleasure before coming 
down. Without thinking of the cold evenings, 
he went up and took his seat on the main-royal 
yard, with only a Crimean shirt on his back, 
and as the sun was then setting, the air felt 
anything but sultry. Being the first one 
"mast-headed" since leaving London, it was 
looked upon much like a novelty, and several 
of us' stood making signs and interchanging 
grins with him till dark. At nine o'clock it 
was proposed that some one should take him 
up his pilot-jacket and some grub, which I 
undertook to do. Slipping on his coat, one 
pocket filled with soft-tack and meat, and the 
other with a bottle containing some grog, I 
carefully ascended the main rigging, so as not 
to attract the attention of the second mate, who 



196 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

was walking the poop. I found him fast 
asleep, having lashed himself to the mast with 
the buntlines. He was very glad of what I 
had brought up, but wondered whether the 
captain would make him remain there all night. 
A little before ten the mate came out with 
orders from the captain for him to come down. 



SHIPPING TEA. W 



CHAPTER XL 



DEATH OF THE CAPTAIN* 



We had now been in port a week, and the 
native cargo from Shanghai was all discharged. 
We had cleared up the hold, levelled the bal- 
last, and already had some two hundred half- 
chests of Oolongs stowed away ; I being made 
tallyman. As the chests leave the lighter or 
" chop," a small bamboo stick is wedged in be- 
tween the cane lashings. This the tallyman 
withdraws just before they slide into the hold, 
and when he has collected one hundred he 
makes an entry in his tally-book, and returns 
the bamboos from whence they came. 

The 10th October was a great day for Turner ; 
his indentures then expired, and he was no more, 
an apprentice. Having to go to the British 



198 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

Consulate to get his indentures cancelled, he 
obtained permission from the mate to take the 
quarter-boat and two hands, and after breakfast 
he shoved off for the shore. Shortly after, with- 
out any cause or reason save a craving for drink, 
the mate hailed a sampan, and also made foi 
the shore, leaving us to take care of ourselves, 
which we forthwith did by knocking off what- 
ever work we were at, and going below for a 
smoke. The captain, who had never left the 
deck whilst coming down from Shanghai, had 
been unwell ever since ; and having lately re- 
ceived another reproachful letter from the 
owners in London, accusing him of negligence 
for not having obtained a cargo before, had 
been greatly worried by it, and at last was 
obliged to keep to his bed, where he lay, on the 
day in question, totally ignorant of what took 
place on deck. 

We were finishing dinner when we heard a 
boat hail us, and running on deck we saw a 
3ight anything but edifying. Two men-o'-war's- 
men from the Teazer, happening to be ashore, 
had brought back our quarter-boat with our 
two men dead drunk in the stern-sheets, and 



A FIGHT ON BOARD. 199 

Turner only a shade better, being able to climb 
on deck without assistance. Having hauled the 
other two aboard, one staggered into the fore- 
castle and was put into his bunk, whilst the 
other rolled into our house, and soon dropped 
off into a heavy sleep on our chests. From 
what we could gather from Turner, they had 
met the mate, and the two men having got 
drunk, commenced a furious fight with him 
(he being in much the same condition), until 
separated and dragged into the boat by the 
two men-o'-war's-men, who happened to be pass- 
ing at the time. Mr Turner very quietly went 
aft and turned in. Half-an-hour afterwards the 
mate came aboard mad-drunk. He rolled to 
our end of the ship and inquired for the two 
men, but before we could answer him he reeled 
into the house, and seeing the man Cogwell 
asleep, roused him up and asked what business 
he had in the apprentices' berth. Eeceiving no 
reply, he grew furious and threatened to turn 
him out. This was enough. Cogwell, a big, 
heavy-limbed Scotchman, sprang from off the 
chest where he had been lying, and seized Mr 
Mason by the throat — a man of no mean size or 



200 TWO TEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

strength either — and a savage fight ensued be- 
tween these two drunken men. They stumbled 
out on deck, and there continued; but the hands, 
who until now had been mere lookers-on with- 
out a word, then interfered and dragged the two 
apart. The mate looked dreadful ; he had got 
the worst of it. The blood poured down his 
clothes from his head and face, while Cogwell 
was not recognisable for swellings and bruises. 
He worked his way to his berth as best he could, 
and thus ended one of the most disgraceful 
sights I have ever witnessed at sea. Mr Mason 
was a drunken fellow, totally unfit for his posi- 
tion as mate of a fine clipper-ship, and com- 
manded no respect from one end of the vessel 
to the other. If such had not been the case, 
things might have turned out very different. 
It is the apprentices' duty to stand by the 
officers, and assist them under any circum- 
stances ; and, moreover, a mate who keeps his 
place, and makes others keep theirs, and alto- 
gether behaves as the chief officer of a ship 
should, would always have the majority of the 
crew at his back ready to support Ms authority 
at any time. 



ILLNESS OF TEE CAPTAIN. 201 

The tea came down but slowly. One day 
would see perhaps 200 to 250 half -chests 
stowed away in the hold, while the following 
day and the next to that would pass away 
without any "chop" coming alongside. Each 
tea "chop" carries the flag of its shipping 
house, so that whenever one hove in sight with 
its huge mat sail, we could tell at once to what 
vessel she was bound. The time occupied in 
loading a ship with tea in Foo-chow ranges from 
a fortnight to two months and even more. For- 
tunately we were in no great hurry, as the later 
we sailed the weather would be less severe for 
New York. 

But news of the gravest importance began 
to spread in the ship. The captain was daily 
growing worse. No one was allowed on the 
poop, lest the sound of the footsteps might dis- 
turb him ; and very little work was carried on, 
the orders being given in an undertone. His 
illness had settled in brain fever, and the doctor 
came aboard twice a-day. A week passed by 
and he still declined. Everybody walked about 
as quietly as possible ; jokes were thrust aside, 
and the only topic of conversation was the state 



202 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

of the captain. At last it was rumoured that, 
should he recover, he never again could com- 
mand the ship. The older seamen shook their 
heads and swore if the mate ever became master 
of the ship they would rather he put in "choky" 
than sail under him. 

One evening as I was washing to go ashore, 

having been invited by Mr B (head man 

of T & Co., ship-chandlers) to tea, " Chips" 

came into the house saying Mrs F wished 

particularly to see me, adding that it was to 
help her in watching over the captain. I packed 
my clean things away again and went aft. A 
sadder sight could not be imagined, and at first 
I thought my eyes saw falsely. In shocking 
contfast to his former manliness, gentlemanly 
bearing, and mild yet determined expression, 
there now sat a maniac, hideous in feature and 
in movement, foaming at the mouth. Poor Mrs 
F sat beside him on the bed in tears, coax- 
ing him to lie down and be quiet; but his glassy 
eyes stared into space — his brain had lost all 
power. She begged of me to remain by the 
captain, saying it would relieve her to have 
some one to talk to. As day by day passed 



HIS LAST HOURS. 203 

away, so did our last hope ; the worse symptoms 
set in, and his end was evidently drawing near. 
The doctor came as usual — twice, and sometimes 
three times a-day — but he now despairingly said 
he could do no more. His wife was exceedingly 

kind to Mrs F , bringing aboard jellies, 

custards, and fruit, and staying with her the 
greater part of the day. The captain, with a 
strange obscured voice, frequently muttered 
words ; and, vague and disconnected though 
they were, yet they referred but to one subject — 
the ship. One morning at daybreak he sprang 
to the port, which was open, and thrust his arms 
out, anxiously inquiring why we did not put into 
St Helena ; and it was only after considerable 
difficulty that he was quieted. The nights 
were most lonely and wearisome. Mrs F — — , 
after the doctor had left — generally about nine 
— retired to an adjoining cabin, where she con- 
trived sometimes to get a little sleep on some 
chests, leaving me to look after the captain till 
daybreak, when I had some breakfast and a 
couple of hours' sleep. However, towards even- 
ing of the 29th November he gesticulated and 
fought less, and, as night wore on, became al- 



204 TWO YEARS ABAFT TEE MAST. 

most motionless. The wind was blowing wildly 
outside, and seemed to harmonise thoroughly 
with our feelings. He breathed regularly, but 
under effort, and his eyes had not moved since 
the night set in. Convinced that he had but a 
very short time to live, I fetche 1 " Chips " and 
Turner that they might be present. His feet and 
hands were stone cold, and his nails were turn- 
ing black, while the heat was slowly leaving his 
body. At twenty minutes past seven on the 
morning of the 30th October he gave three 
long-drawn sighs. " He is dead/' said Turner, 
as he straightened his arms aod closer! bis eyes. 
His widow, in moumt^I anticipation, had 
occupied ]v;?seif faring the night in laying out 
su/»h c' n jan linen as might be -necessary. As 
\ erossed the quarter-deck on my way to the 
galley for a bucket of hot water to wash his 
body, I met the mate, who, when he heard the 
news, burst into hypocritical sobs and tears, 
and sang out for M'Ewan to hoist the ensign 
half-mast high. To a stranger his grief would 
have appeared very great; but we knew him 
too well. With hot water, soap, and flannel, 
Turner and I undertook this last task. Hav- 



FEELINGS OF TEE CREW. 205 

ing dressed his body in clean underclothing, 
and covered it with a white sheet, we left the 
cabin, after pinning a handkerchief over the 
port. All the ships lowered their ensigns out 
of respect. When I went for'ard I found the 
men silently looking over their chests or smok- 
ing. There being no position ashore whereby 
to draw a parallel with that of a sea-captain, it 
would be difficult to describe a crew's feelings 
at his loss. He is everything, and has the 
power to do nearly anything, whether for good 
or evil. If on the wide ocean, implicit confi- 
dence is placed in his navigation reckonings by 
every one, nobody casting a doubt upon his 
skill; a man breaks his leg or arm, and the 
captain is immediately applied to to put it 
right ; the mate, second mate, or steward may 
either of them understand more thoroughly the 
treatment of that particular accident, but Jack 
puts his faith in the " cap'en." Poor Captain 

F was a conscientious man, always 

studying to equally please owners and crew- 
no easy work, their interests at times running 
very contrary. 

In the evening the coffin came aboard, and 



206 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

half-a-dozen of us succeeded in placing him in; 
but there being no space for it in the cabin, we 
left it in the cuddy, on the table, with the lid 
off. His limbs were as stiff as iron, and decom- 
position had already set in, as the tainted 
atmosphere plainly proved. It was a mournful 
evening aboard ; no laughing or joking could 
be heard. The men in the forecastle lay about 
on their chests and in their bunks, either 
smoking or reading; and if perchance some- 
body interrupted the other in his thoughts by 
broaching a topic of conversation, it found no 
favour, and the speaker was gradually silenced. 
The Foo-chow branch of our agents in China, 

the large house of Messrs J M & Co., 

behaved in a very kindly spirit throughout. 
Their steam-launch and "house-boat" came 
alongside at half -past seven next morning 
(Friday), to convey the body to Foo-chow city 
to be buried. The English cemetery — a small 
plot of ground surrounded by a wall, with a 
chapel in the centre— nearly adjoins the native 
burial-ground, which lies between it and the 
few houses constituting the European quarter 
At eight o'clock the lid was screwed down, and 



HIS FUNERAL. 207 

covered with our merchant white - bordered 
Union-Jack. The coffin was brought from the 
cuddy to the quarter-deck, and lowered through 
the port into the house-boat, where it was laid 
on deck in the cabin fore and aft. Mr Mason 
(with his eyes still black, and looking pain- 
fully comical) and Mr Turner then stepped 
aboard, the rest of the ship's company follow- 
ing. All being ready, we cast off, and the 
natives in charge having hoisted the huge 
sail, with the ensign half-mast, dipping in the 
water over the stern, we rapidly slid through 
the river, and, so long as it remained wide and 
open, keeping well ahead of the launch, which, 
however, proved very useful in towing us from 
under the lee of the mountains, where we re- 
peatedly got becalmed. Everybody had put on 
his best clothes, with such signs of mourning 
as could be procured; we apprentices in our 
uniform suits, but with the band and badge on 
our caps concealed beneath crape or cloth. I 
had as yet never been up to Foo-chow city, and 
so employed my time watching the scenery. 
In consequence of the "carrying on," the lee 
side of the cabin filled with water, and we were 



208 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

obliged to remove the coffin on to the weather 
seat. We arrived at our agents' jetty at noon : 

the two heads of the firm here, Messrs H 

and C. L coming down to meet us at the 

landing-stairs. The river here is very narrow, 
and swarms with junks, large and small, be- 
sides an endless variety of other craft. Messrs 

J M & Co.'s business house, or 

rather mansion, is a fine structure, standing in 
well-] aid-out grounds. We were at first going 
to carry the coffin slung in ropes, but the above 
gentlemen having procured a bier, helped us 
considerably. Supported hj eight men shoul- 
der-high, and the others following, we moved 
steadily on towards the English cemetery, dis- 
tant about a mile and a half. Part of our 
road led through the city itself, with its dirty 
narrow thoroughfares, and so crowded that 
several times our burden was nearly knocked 
to the ground by the people wilfully jostling us. 
In passing through a lane narrower than any 
other, and flanked on each side by a wall, we 
had to carry the coffin over our heads at arm's- 
length; but, from our awkward position, it 
came into contact with either wall so violently 



NATIVE BURIAL-GROUND. 209 

that, had it not been strongly put together, 
it certainly would have broken to pieces. At 
last we emerged on open land, sandy and 
grassy by turns. The sun now made himself 
felt in earnest, burning and scorching with 
uncontrolled power, until the groups of trees 
on the Chinese burial-ground mitigated his 
fury. 

This was the most wretched and tedious part 
of our journey; a succession of sickening sights 
presenting themselves to our view. Every- 
where were huts, bamboo or thatched, sheltering 
one, two, three, or more coffins. A few, which 
apparently were new, held together ; but the 
vast majority had long since fallen away, and, 
as they were not interred in the earth, but 
raised above it a couple of feet, the decaying 
bones and putrid bodies were exposed to the 
gaze of the passer-by. In charge of these dead 
bodies were whole families, paid by the relatives 
and friends to ward off the evil spirits. Born 
in the tombs, brought up among the dead, fed 
on foul air and miserable food, these wretched 
beings pass through life. Keepers and kept 
are equally dead to the world; their bed is 
o 



210 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

beside a corpse, and their only thought is con- 
cerning it. 

I breathed more freely when, following the 
pathway up some hills, we left the foul air of 
this ghastly region behind. We soon after 
entered the English cemetery, and having 
deposited the coffin in the chapel to await inter- 
ment at sunset, we returned in loose order to 
the house, where a liberal and almost sumptuous 
tiffin had been provided for men and officers. A 
spacious room on the ground-floor was set apart 
for the men, while the officers, with the appren- 
tices, were invited to Mr H 's table in a 

splendid dining-room on the first floor. The 
menu was faultless, and did ample justice to 
their hospitality. Wine, in any quantity and 
of any kind, circulated round, and helped ma- 
terially to gladden all hearts, notwithstanding 

our sepulchral mission. Mr C. L kept up 

a regular volley of witty remarks throughout 
the feast; for a feast it certainly was to us 
hungry tars. Course after course followed, 
until dessert came and cigars, when we ad- 
journed down-stairs again. The men, who 
looked all the jollier for their repast, were 



DONKEY-RIDINQ. 211 

quietly smoking cigars in the gardens, and it 
must be said to their credit, everybody sober. 

Mr C. L -, full of fun, and anxious that we 

should enjoy ourselves, but perhaps rather for- 
getful of our day's duty and its sad calling, led 
all hands into an adjoining field, where a fine 
donkey was grazing. He was soon caught, and 
several men were persuaded to ride him in 
turn ; and being of a frisky nature, with a 
marked tendency to suddenly elevate his hind- 
quarters and balance himself on his fore-legs, 
his unhappy riders had numerous falls, causing 
general laughter. But the best was yet to come 
One of the native men-servants happening tc 
be looking on — a man of say thirty years, face 
of true Chinese type, expression of feature con- 
spicuous by its absence — he was " nailed," and 
when no one else would venture, was bon gr6 
mat gv6 seated on the donkey's back, who im- 
mediately started off at a gallop, amidst a host 
of cries and yells ; many joyful shrieks coming 
from his own countrymen, who, Chinaman- 
fashion, went into ecstasies of delight in seeing 
one of their own race and kind in trouble. 
The animal dragged the unfortunate Celestial 



212 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

through branch and hush, until, emerging on 
clear ground again, he gave two or three vv ild 
kicks, which ended by landing our friend awk- 
wardly on the grass, accompanied by roars of 
laughter from the lookers-on. 

Mr W , one of the clerks here, having 

proposed to show M'Ewan, Reed, and me round 
the neighbouring streets and quarter of Foo- 
chow city, we gladly availed ourselves of his 
offer, and set off at about 3 p.m. I noticed some 
difference between this city and Hong-Kong: 
a city laid out on semi-European plans, the 
thoroughfares being divided into roads and 
pathways. Here, as in all Chinese towns pro- 
per, goods and merchandise are carried by men, 
slung on a stout bamboo — carts, &c, being 
unknown. The streets are only used by pedes- 
trians, and are merely a rough path or roadway 
paved with large and small rugged stones, and, 
like all Eastern towns, very narrow ; so much 
so, in fact, that after going some distance I 

asked our friend Mr W if our course 

would be much further in these ba?k slums 
and alleys, and was quite taken aback when he 
informed me that the dirty little lane we were . : 



NATIVE PECULIARITIES. 213 

then traversing was one of the principal streets 
of the city of Foo-chow. 

A European cannot fail to be struck, when 
first visiting China, with the immense antiquity 
stamped directly and indirectly upon every- 
thing. Turning a corner, we meet a crowd 
listening attentively to an old man who is call- 
ing upon the youth of the empire to imitate 
their forefathers, to follow in the footsteps of 
heroes who lived not hundreds but thousands 
of years ago. The Chinese never look forward, 
they always look back ; seeking no other know- 
ledge than that which their ancestors possessed, 
and striving to do but as they did. The men 
are small in size and slightly made. Their 
arms and legs are so thin and void of muscle 
that they appear more like children's than 
men's limbs; and it is nothing uncommon to 
see amongst the lower classes the most deli- 
cately-shaped hands and wrists, such as many 
a European lady might well long for. Their 
physical strength is far below ours ; and how- 
ever different the case may be in Australia and 
California, where many have of late emigrated, 
they are badly off as regards energy. 



214 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

We crossed the bridge, an old stone structure 
of many arches, through which the tide swept 
with great rapidity. I should think not more 
than four persons could walk abreast be- 
tween the parapets. This bridge is the longest 
one in China ; and a curious legend is attached 
to it, which may be of interest, if only to show 
the grotesque character of the Chinese imagina- 
tion, which has no conception for the beautiful 
or the sublime, but only for the weird and the 
horrible. To judge by the legendary descrip- 
tion, one would fancy the river Min at Foo-chow 
to equal an arm of the sea at least, instead of 
being only a very ordinary stream, and of no 
great depth. 

On a certain day many, many years ago, a 
vessel was preparing to cross the river Min • 
there were to be a number of passengers, be- 
sides a valuable cargo, and everything, augured 
well. But in their watery abodes at the bottom 
of the Min the river-devils were in high glee. 
They were the spirits of the people drowned 
from time to time in their endeavours to cross 
the troubled surface. The news had reached 
them that a larg^ ship was about attempting 



A CHINESE LEGEND. 215 

the passage, and knowing what little chance it 
had, they were mightily pleased, as for every 
man drowned so, a soul was released from these 
hideous depths, taking their turn by seniority. 
The river-devils had it in their power to stir 
up the treacherous water; but this was coun- 
terbalanced by the land fairies, whose special 
mission consisted in watching over human 
lives. On the night previous to the sailing, 
one of them appeared in a dream to the cap- 
tain, and told him that a great storm would 
rage, but if a man named A Choi was among 
the passengers, the peril would be averted. As 
A Choi was described as a literary man, he 
would be easily distinguishable from the rest 
of the passengers, who were mostly of the 
lower classes. The following day, when the 
passengers came aboard, the captain stood in 
the gangway and carefully noted every indi- 
vidual. The last one passed by, but still none 
answered in any way to the description given. 
The captain grew agitated, and determined upon 
inquiring among those aboard whether a person 
of the name of A Choi was with them, but 
without success. One old woman was certainly 



216 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

married to a man of that name ; but vliat mat- 
tered little to the captain, who must necessarily 
have had him aboard, even supposing him a 
literary man. At last the time came for start- 
ing : the hawsers were cast off, the sails hoisted 
to the merry songs of the sailors, and the ship 
filled away before a gentle breeze. The sky 
was clear and the water smooth; and everything 
looked so peaceful and calm that the captain 
soon recovered his spirits, laughing at his cre- 
dulity in putting faith in a troublesome dream, 
Unfortunately kis felicity was soon cut short 
by the appearance of huge black clouds ; and 
as the breeze freshened, so sail had to be re- 
duced. The river, too, which a minute before 
had been so treacherously smooth, now rose 
into high waves ; and as the wind rose high, so 
his courage sank low. Presently the storm 
burst around with awful might, and the cap- 
tain, in a fit of despair, cried out, " We are lost!" 
But in doing so he cast his eyes on the woman 
who had married one A Choi, and instantly a 
thought passed through his mind. " Pray for 
us!" he exclaimed: "if your husband is not 
literary, your son may one day be so." She 



A CHINESE LEGEND. 217 

immediately knelt down, and vowed that if 
their lives should be spared, and she should in 
after-time bring forth a son, in his name she 
solemnly promised to build a bridge over the 
river. The wild wind suddenly dropped, the 
clouds cleared off, and the waves settled down. 
They were delivered. A short time after this 
event, she brought into the world a son ; and 
when she related to her husband her extra- 
ordinary adventure, he resolved that no endeav- 
our should be spared in fulfilling the vow. 
They saved all the money they could, and had 
their son carefully instructed in all the polite 
arts; and being a remarkably intelligent lad, 
he passed all the examinations with the high- 
est honours. But after all, they found all his 
learning availed him nothing towards the great 
work; in fact there was nothing he was so 
entirely ignorant of as building a bridge. They 
were well aware the authorities would laugh at 
them as mad if they applied for money. Con- 
vinced that their only chance lay in praying to 
heaven, the woman went to the nearest temple, 
and besought the Supreme Spirit to help her. 
The prayer was not without effect. The beauti- 



218 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

ful and kind-hearted goddess, touched with 
compassion, hastened to the celestial sovereign 
to be allowed to visit the earth, and had her 
request at once granted. She descended with 
her suite invisible to mortal eyes, and alighted 
in a boat moored in the river off the city of 
Foo-chow. The news spread rapidly round the 
town that a most charming maiden had come 
to be married, which intention she made known 
by writing it in large characters on a board at 
the end of the boat. Her mother, who had 
accompanied her, then made it known to the 
concourse of 'spectators, that whoever should 
hit a delicate teacup, placed on her daughter's 
head, with a coin, should be allowed to marry 
her: her dowry to consist of all the money 
thrown into the boat before the cup was broken. 
Day by day the trial went on in quick succes- 
sion ; and although all the young men of Foo- 
chow were there, none succeeded. Just as the 
goddess was considering the advisibility of 
ending the play of coins, which was now nearly 
sinking the boat, a youth was induced to at- 
tempt a throw. He had been looking on with 
interest all along, but was restrained by his 



A CHINESE LEGEND. 219 

excessive bashful ness. At his first aim he 
struck the teacup and smashed it into a hun- 
dred pieces. She beckoned to him to go in the 
boat ; and having given him all the money to 
build the bridge with, she vanished, after pro- 
mising him an architect. The genii of the 
Fiery Star was sent to earth, where he assumed 
the form of an old man, and gave some valu- 
able hints to A Choi on the architecture re- 
quired. " You have no suitable stone/' said he ; 
"go to Canton and find out the Dragon of 
Goodness, he will satisfy your wants." After 
wasting many a weary day looking for him, 
he found the kindly monster, who gave him 
a bottle containing ninety pills, closely sealed 
down, and which he was not to open till he 
got back. Their purpose was for building the 
foundations ; and in his enthusiasm he leaped 
with joy. Unfortunately, on his way down the 
Canton river, inquisitiveness took possession of 
him : he opened the bottle and took out a % pill, 
which every moment grew larger. Frightened, 
he threw it in the river; but it increased in 
size at such an extraordinary rate, that it soon 
rose above the surface of the water. But A 



220 TWO tjZABS ABAFT TEE MAST. 

Choi, remembering an old charm, marked it on 
a piece of wood, and throwing it at the expand- 
ing mass, hit it. It grew no more, but remains 
unto this day a hideous rock in the middle of 
the stream. Arriving in Foo-chow, the old man 
severely blamed him for losing a pill, as there 
were ninety foundations to build, and the pills 
had only to be thrown in the river to complete 
the rest themselves. Only eighty-nine remain- 
ing, he would have to build one himself, which 
he thought a hopeless task. At last the old 
man informed him that by applying to the 
Great Marine Dragon living in the depths of 
the Min, the waters would be drained off for 
a day. A large supply of stone having been 
collected, the Great Marine Dragon laid dry 
the bed of the river, and during this time the 
foundations of the last arch was successfully 
laid. And thus A Choi built the bridge. From 
its indestructible material and imposing ap- 
pearance, his mother called it " The Bridge of 
Ten Thousand Ages" which name it retains to 
the present day. 

We got back at four o'clock, and at half-past 
we all started for the cemetery to do our last 



BURIAL OF THE CAPTAIN. 221 

duty to our late captain. The Union-Jack was 
disarranged ; and it was noticed that one of the 
screws in the lid was half out, which we knew 
not to have been the case when we left the 
coffin there earlier in the day. However, no 
one passed a remark, although all of the same 
thought, as we subsequently found out. We 
quietly took our seats while the carpenter 
secured the lid again. The clergyman then 
read the burial service, and we carried the 
coffin to its grave. Several friends of our late 
captain assisted, one being an old schoolfellow 
of his, holding some mercantile post in Foo- 
chow. The natives who filled the grave up, 
instead of shovelling the earth in, filled little 
baskets, which they carried to and fro — a pro- 
cess which took three times as long. I came 
away last, and hastened to rejoin the others on 
their way to the house. The topic of conversa- 
tion was with reference to. that screw half out. 
It was an undoubted sign that some wretched 
natives had been at the coffin to strip the 
corpse of its clothing; whether successful or 
not in their attempt it was impossible to say 
now. Several blamed the carpenter for not 



222 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

unscrewing the lid completely to ascertain, but 
rt Chips " very naturally replied that such a 
thought never entered his mind. A large olive- 
tree overhung the grave of Captain F— : — , 
who, only a few weeks ago, was hale and 
hearty. Little did any of us think when we 
left Shanghai that in sailing for Foo-chow he 
was sailing to his grave. 

After depositing the coffin in the chapel, I 
took a stroll round the cemetery, reading the 
epitaphs on the tombstones. One marked the 
last resting-place of a captain's wife who died 
on a passage from Australia to Foo-chow ; 
another, the second officer of the screw- steamer 
Volunteer, aged 25, who died at Pagoda anchor- 
age in 1865 ; and a strange coincidence of rank, 
age, and vessel, occurs in a slab to the memory 
of the second engineer, aged 25, of the screw- 
steamer Volunteer, who died in 1867 at the same 
place. Passing on, I came to the grave of an 
unhappy midshipman of H.M.S. Acorn, drowned 
at the anchorage whilst bathing. These, with 
about a dozen devoted to residents, complete 
the number of graves in the English cemetery of 
Foo-chow. Having had a good tea, we walked 



ABOARD AGAIN. 223 

down to the quay, and went aboard the house- 
boat again. Mr W , just as we left table, 

took up a pot of jam, and stuffed it in one. of 
Reed's pockets, much to the latter's delight. 
We had no end of trouble in shoving off. 

Mr C. L , with a mistaken view to saving 

trouble, had paid our boatmen in advance — two 
dollars apiece. Of course, having got their 
money, they wanted to make off, and as our 
boat touched this and that craft, they tried hard 
to run away; but at last, Jack Anderson, a 
Swede of determined character, threatened to 
heave the next " son of a bitch " overboard that 
he caught trying to escape. They quietly went 
about their duty after this, and being a fine 
moonlight night, with a strong breeze, we 
steadily glided down the river. But it was 
not all smooth sailing. Getting under the lee 
of a hill, our canvass hung loosely down the 
mast, with not a breath of air stirring. Then 
our lazy boatmen had to man the oars — a task 
undertaken with the worst possible grace. We 
sat in the cabin talking over the day's events. 
Keed was in a corner eating his pot of jam with 
his fingers, looking very ill and inflated. We 



224 TWO TEAMS ABAFT TEE MAST. 

had some narrow, escapes in emerging from a 
dead calm and meeting the strong gusts of 
wind. Several times we rushed on deck, ex- 
pecting her to go on her beam-ends. Our little 
coloured able-seaman, Phillips, had his coat and 
boots off, ready for jumping overboard at, a mo- 
ment's notice ; and as a sudden blast bore the 
lee side of the deck under water, a quantity of 
which poured down into the cabin, he sprang 
up the companion-ladder, and remained there 
for the rest of the journey. We arrived along- 
side the ship at half-past eleven. 

Mrs F had gone to the doctor's house 

on the morning of the funeral, where she had 
been invited to stay a few days. Two or three 
days after the above ceremony, the doctor placed 
his house-boat at her disposal for the purpose 
of viewing her husband's grave, which I took 
charge of, with the mate's permission. Having 
arrived at our agents' jetty, I conducted Mrs 

F- to a lady friend's house. We were 

met on the way by Mr C. L , who invited 

me to tiffin with the gentlemen of the firm. 
While he and I were washing our Lands in his 
room, a gentleman walked in, and shaking hands 



FINISH LOADING. 225 

with him, was introduced to me as Captain 
H- — of H.M.S. Teazer. I felt a little shaky 
at being in the presence of a naval officer, and 
a captain at that ; but I soon found him to be 

a very affable person. Captain M of the 

screw-steamer Dragon, plying on the coast, was 
also at table. As H.M.S. Teazer had only re- 
turned from a cruise outside the day before, 

Captain H had, until then of course, been 

ignorant of our loss. He expressed his grief 
at the death; for, besides knowing him per- 
sonally, he had met our late captain officially in 
the rank he held of sub-lieutenant in the Koyal 
Naval Eeserve. We returned in the evening 
to the anchorage, and having left Mrs ~E — ■ — 
at the doctor's house, I got back to the ship at 
about eight o'clock. Early next morning she 
embarked in the Thetis (s.s.), bound for London. 
We had finished loading over a week. The 
hatches were on and battened down, and tar- 
paulins stretched over ; and the cuddy, all but 
a little space at the fore-end, where the table 
was for the captain and officers to dine, was 
full of chests of tea. Mr Mason was not to 
take command of the ship, the agents had 
* 



226 TWO YEARS ABAFT TEE MAST. 

wisely decided. A captain had been found in 
Shanghai, from whence he was daily expected, 
who had consented to take charge of the Sea 
Queen. We were very glad to hear this ; but 
what sort of a man he would be, beeame our 
next thought. 

Sailors are very lavish in their expenditure 
on "curios" for their friends and sweethearts. 
Jack does not obtain for nothing the strange 
wares and curious objects which he so carefully 
brings across the seas from far-off lands. On 
the contrary, I always found collecting "curios" 
a very expensive undertaking, particularly in 
China. Little fancy pagodas, carved out of 
soapstone, are always in great demand, and 
are sold at fifty cents to a dollar, according to 
size. Camphor-wood chests are also much in- 
quired for, and as readily supplied, varnished, 
at two to four dollars. Their neat workmanship, 
finished off with characteristic minuteness, has 
a peculiar charm for sailors. If they were only 
as useful as ornamental, they would not be 
dear; but unfortunately the wood, as a rule, 
warps to such an extent as to start the lid and 
open the sides. Then damp is quickly attracted 



' CURIO " - BUYING. 227 

by them, which soon destroys the clothes ; and 
besides, they are never calculated for the rough 
wear and tear of a forecastle. Several of our 
men bought them, but sorely repented their 
purchases afterwards. I have seen miniature 
tea-plants in pots offered for sale at twenty-five 
cents. A great trade is carried on also in 
Japanese cabinets. 

Since the death of the captain we seemed a 
different crew. The men went about their work 
without growling, and the apprentices in their 
respective turns hauled down the ensign from 
the flagstaff and the house-flag into the main- 
top at sunset, without being summoned before- 
hand two or three times. The days, too, were 
drawing in, and the nights grew cold, so that 
we were glad to turn into our bunks of an even- 
ing, and enjoy a quiet smoke and a yarn by 
lamplight. 

Thursday, 6th November. — This afternoon the 
agents' house-boat brought the captain aboard, 

accompanied by Mr W , who introduced him 

to Mr Mason and Mr Turner, and showed him 
his state-room and quarters. We stood by the 
break of the forecastle, keenly eying our future 



228 ■ TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

captain, a man of medium height, with sandy 
moustache and whiskers, inclined to be red. 
When Mr W — — came into the house soon 
after to wish us good-bye and a pleasant voyage, 
as he should not come down to the ship again, 
we assailed him with all sorts of questions con- 
cerning the character of our new commander, 

Captain S . ¥ He said he was a very quiet 

man, though inclined for a joke now and then, 
and that he was well liked by all who had 
served under him on the coast, where he had 
been for the last fifteen years in command of 
steamers. He now availed himself of this op- 
portunity to return home with a view to building 
a fine steamer in England which he intended to 
bring out again to China, and sail on his own 
account. One could plainly see he liked good 
living by the quantity of provisions which 
came aboard the next day. Preserves of all 
kinds, two casks of bottled beer, besides a 
quantity of fresh meat and vegetables, enough 
to last all hands a week from leaving port. The 
hencoops, too, on the poop were filled with four 
dozen fowls, and four sheep were put in the pen 
on the fore-hatch, which, together with the fat 



Ol'K NEW CAPTAIN. 229 

pig, held out good prospects for the future. A 
cask of bottled pickles also came aboard for the 
cabin and for'ard. After an hour's stay, during 
which time he came no further for'ard than the 
mainmast, he gave orders to the mate to have 
the ship ready to proceed to sea on Saturday 
morning ; and placing in charge of the stew- 
ard two native dogs, totally black, even to 
their tongues, he left us and returned to Foo- 
chow city again, where he was staying at the 
agents. And so we knew at least when we 
should sail — an event long looked forward to. 
Every week had appeared to us like a month 
in this miserable place, made, if possible, more 
wretched still by the mists and keen winds of 
approaching winter. 

Saturday, 8th November. — Captain S came 

aboard in his official capacity ; and in the after- 
noon we manned the windlass, weighed anchor, 
and dropped down below the shipping, ready 
for towing down early next morning. We could 
fire no salute, as our only gun, an iron 6-pounder, 
had baffled all attempts to remove the tough iron 
pin with which it was spiked. Seeing its use- 
lessness on deck, it had been stowed in the hold 



230 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

as part ballast. In the evening the last of our 
sea provisions came aboard, consisting of four 
little native pigs. 

Sunday, 2 a.m. — Before daybreak we were 
roused out to heave up the anchor. This time 
we had not the trouble of dropping down, 
backing and tilling, wearing ourselves out in or- 
der to save the owners a few dollars. A steam- 
tug took us in tow, and as the wind was fair 
the captain ordered the staysails to be loosed. 
Some discontent prevailed amongst the men be- 
cause no second mate or boatswain had been 
shipped, the only extra hand to make up for 
these deficiences being a sickly-looking little 
lascar, ordinary seaman, who came straight 
from prison, where he had been detained some- 
what unjustly for running away from his last 
ship — a German — on account of ill-treatment. 
The English Consul, in a grim, ironical mood, 
charged him with his month's imprisonment by 
drawing one month of his pay to come — £2. 
He had neither chest nor bedding, and only 
possessed what he stood in. The reason we 
had neither second mate nor boatswain was, no 
doubt, that they could not be obtained ; conse- 



TO SEA AT LAST. 231 

quently Turner still held his post as acting 
second mate— an office, perhaps, he knew well 
enough how to fill, although having been only 
lately an apprentice, and having of course had 
no opportunity as yet of passing the Board of 
Trade examinations, the men but half obeyed 
his orders, whilst several refused to " sir " him. 
This was not a very satisfactory state of things 
at the beginning of our long journey to the other 
side of the world ; but the fact of our leaving 
China, and particularly Foo-chow — a place, as 
George said, forgotten when the world was being 
made, and therefore hastily formed afterwards 
out of the refuse and rubbish — helped to smooth 
matters down. It beiDg low tide when we 
reached the mouth of the river, we came to 
anchor till noon, when we hove up for the last 
time in Chinese waters, and in tow of the 
steam-tug we stood out to sea. 



232 TWO YE ABU ABAFT THE MAST. 



CHAPTER XIL 

WESTWARD HO! 

Sunday, 9th November. — A fresli wind was blow- 
ing off the land, so orders were given to loose 
all sail. Just as I was loosing the upper mizzen- 
topsail, I heard a sharp thud, and feeling the 
mast quiver, saw that the hawser had parted — 
as it did more than a year before off the Nore 
— this time carrying away near to where it was 
made fast to the bitts on the forecastle-head, so 
that we lost the greater part of the old hawser, 
a new one having been bought before leaving 
port. We did not take the trouble to make 
fast again : all sail was soon set ; and, a stiffish 
breeze blowing, we bade farewell to the tug, 
which, sinking and rising on the green water, 
turned her head landwards, apparently happy at 



FAREWELL TO CHINA. 233 

returning home so soon. Towards five o'clock 
the pilot left us, and we found ourselves once 
more bounding away on the ocean ; the green 
waves already giving way to the dark blue 
transparency of the deep sea. Nobody felt 
sorry at leaving China. We had been on the 
coast five months ; and if there is one thing 
above all others which is particularly hateful 
to a " blue- water " sailor, it is coasting. Accus- 
tomed to a regular clockwork routine of life, he 
dislikes clearing out of port one day and sailing 
in the next, with its consequent dirty work and 
untidy decks; besides the trouble and difficulty 
to him of navigating along shore, implying 
double vigilance at the " wheel " and " look- 
out;" he finds time for nothing without his 
usual "watch and watch": clothes do not get 
mended, nor buttons sewn on. The feeling may 
be more easily understood when the case is 
mentioned of a countryman who looks forward 
to spending a week in London, but who, after 
a few days, soon tires of the bustle, noise, ex- 
citement, and high - pressure living of a large 
town, and is glad in the end to return to the 
systematic life of his quiet country village — 



234 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

monotonous if you will, but gradual and steady 
in its course. 

~No other profession in the world is so asso- 
ciated with romance and reckless happiness in 
the ideal; no other can surpass it in the amount 
of hardship and privation entailed in reality. 
Jack ashore and Jack afloat are two different 
animals. People forget when they see a sailor 
ashore that he is on a holiday, and free to so 
remain so long as his money lasts. Holiday 
life not being the normal condition of any 
man's existence, should not be taken as a stand- 
ing-point from whence to judge his character. 
Dibdin and others have written scores of songs 
on Jack's merry life at sea, emanating from a 
fertile imagination only. I am ignorant of how 
they go down with navy tars, but merchant 
sailors hail them with derisive laughter. It is 
believed by land-folks that sailors have noth- 
ing to do at sea. They sleep in peaceful inno- 
cence all night, and lounge on deck round the 
mainmast all day ; occupying the voyage by 
spinning yarns and singing briny songs. As 
the ship is supposed, like a little model steamer, 
to have her helm adjusted at the angle that 



ROMANCE AND REALITY. 235 

will take her straight to the port she is bound 
for ; so the captain and mates have no trouble 
concerning navigation, their chief duty lying in 
keeping the sailors supplied with grog. Their 
throats are scorched by the tropical sun under 
which the vessel is always sailing. In order to 
season the pleasures of singing and drinking, 
which would otherwise become insipid, a pirate 
holds himself in readiness to appear on the 
horizon, during some period of the voyage, to 
hoist his black flag and engage in battle, and in 
due course to be, both ship and crew, swept 
off the surface of the sea. Obliging pirate! 
you may exclaim; not at all — it was simply 
a duty he owed to the generous British tars. 
The weather is put to no end of inconvenience 
in consequence of the wind always blowing in 
the direction the ship wants to go, and always 
at the same pressure. Marjyat has sent more 
boys to sea than any training ship. But how 
different a picture the reality is! Clad in his 
tarry and greasy clothes, he goes about his 
work day by day, week by week, month by 
month, with the everlasting expanse of ocean 
around him meeting the sky. Fair weather or 



236 TWO YEARS ABAFT TEE MAST. 

foul, he must be on deck every alternate four 
hours day and night. " Saturday night at sea " 
is like any other night, unless, indeed, exception 
be made for the decks, and sundry articles of 
wearing apparel hanging about drying after 
their respective washings. As regards pirates and 
other sensational encounters, the former have 
been extinct for many years, unless we reckon 
the occasional Chinese junk hovering amongst 
its native islands, which is honoured with the 
title ; the latter are limited to sharks and fly 
ing-fish. It is needless to say that the sea- 
serpent is only known to land-people, who find 
no difficulty in monopolising the arguments 
thereon. 

Being the N. E. monsoon we sailed along 
under square yards, going about nine knots, 
although occasionally the wind took an un- 
steady fit, causing us to haul the yards for'ard 
once or twice. We were fortunate in not hav- 
ing to beat down against the S.W. monsoon, 
which blows the other part of the year. In 
one case the run is calculated in days, in the 
other in weeks. The first question a sailor 
asks on sailing under a new captain is, " Does 



"DBIVING" CAPTAINS. 237 

he carry on' ? " If the answer is in the affir- 
mative, he is satisfied ; if the contrary, he 
treats him inwardly with considerable con- 
tempt. Blue -water sailors like blue -water 
voyages, but quick passages. Ships win a 
reputation through the "driving" qualities of 
their skippers, which go far in counterbalanc- 
ing other grievances. On this ground I have 
heard several men praise the Deerhound, 
whose captain they called " old Jock," and the 
old Red Jacket — the latter especially. Cap- 
tain F was a timid man, not bodily, but 

in his fear of carrying away sails or masts, 

and displeasing owners. Captain S was 

not much better,* but from a different cause. 
Having been so many years in steamers, his 
new duties were somewhat strange to him 
under sail, which want of experience told se- 
verely upon the discipline of the ship^event- 
ually. Steam officers and seamen are far less 
fit to ship in sailing vessels than men from 
the latter to ship in steamers: "steamboat" 
captains understand but indifferently the man- 
agement of sailing ships, and " steamboat " 
sailors are generally considered as only capable 



238 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

of cleaning brass and scrubbing paintwork, or 
any other work under the category of " sand 
and canvas." It is common for a man to say, 
in a temporary fit of disgust with his seafaring 
life, making him none the less humorous : " I'll 
knock off the sea and go in a steamboat/' 

The weather kept, on the whole, fine ; and as 
day after day passed by, things were got into 
sea order : chafing-gear put on stays and back- 
stays ; the running-gear .overhauled, spliced, or 
renewed; and the harness - casks lashed and 
secured on the quarter-deck. During our 
watches below we greased our sea-boots, paint- 
ed our oilskins, and otherwise prepared for all 
kinds of weather. Nothing of much interest 
occurred : an island, destitute of animal or 
vegetable life, with which this part of the China 
sea abounds, might be passed, or a native junk 
might heave in sight ; but in other respects no- 
thing relieved the monotony. The monsoon 
carried us down to 6° N., when we met the 
usual obstacles in crossing the equator. Light 
winds, calms, a gale of wind, then a steady 
breeze for half an hour, followed by a sudden 
shaking fore and aft of the sails— the clews and 



TN THE DOLDRUMS. 239 

iron chains of the topsail sheets making them- 
selves heard above the rest ; everything aback. 
As we haul the yards round on the other tack, 
torrents of rain fall ; half the hands leave the 
braces to fetch oilskins, and put tubs to collect 
the water pouring off the forecastle-head and 
poop. With our diminished number we can- 
not get the fore-yard round. "Watch her as 
she rolls," sings out the second mate (I was 
still in the starboard watch), and the yard 
swings as fast as we can haul the slack of the 
brace in. By the time we have braced the 
yards up, a calm has set in. It stops raining, 
although the sky is everywhere overcast with 
dark leaden clouds. We are told not to coil 
the ropes down, but to leave them along the 
decks as they are ready for running. The sails 
hang dripping down the masts, and each time 
a roll causes the sails to flap with a loud noise, 
the mainsail, which has been hauled up, dis- 
charges bucketfuls of' water on deck from 
its folds. The captain anxiously walks the 
poop, now and then stopping to look through 
his glasses at some part of the horizon more 
threatening than the rest. At last a breeze 



< 



240 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

springs up, to be succeeded again in the same 
rotation as before. 

We had two days of this " box-hauling " and 
making no headway whatever, until a good- 
natured wind had pity on us and carried us 
across the line and beyond its unsettled regions. 
We now plunged into that most intricate part 
of the China seas — that leading to and be- 
tween the islands of Banca and Sumatra. There 
is no sea more infested with rocks and dangers, 
to say nothing of narrow channels ; indeed we 
were sometimes to all appearance completely 
hemmed in by land, some of it so low that only 
the trees could be seen above water. We 
passed two or three islands, uninhabited, but ex- 
tremely beautiful. One of them I saw while at 
the wheel one Saturday morning. As we were 
only going five knots, and not a cloud obscured 
the sky, I had ample time to observe and ad- 
mire it. Eising out of the sea in gentle slopes, 
it was clad in such rich vegetation as only a 
tropical sun can produce. It closely resembled 
the imaginative picture I had traced in my 
mind of the one occupied by Eobinson Crusoe. 

Concerning sailors' superstition, a curious 



A QEOST AT SEA. 241 

instance came under my notice about this time. 
Hitherto I had felt assured that the reports 
spread ashore were grossly exaggerated, as no 
case had happened to my knowledge since we 
left London. It may readily be guessed that 
Captain F — —s death was the cause of the 
outbreak in question. One lovely evening, it 
being our watch from eight to twelve o'clock, I 
was at my usual station on the quarter-deck, 
leaning over the bulwarks* looking at the last 
glimmer of daylight as it hovered over the west- 
ern horizon, and watching the progress of the 
ship through the calm rippling water, sparkling 
with phosphorescence. Decidedly no place or 
time for spectral visits, I should have thought 
— shocking bad taste on the part of any ghost 
who disturbed our worldly peace at this un- 
seasonable hour in lieu of the conventional 
twelve o'clock — 

" 'Tis now the very witching time of night, 
When churchyards yawn, and hell itself breathes out 
Contagion to this world. " 

Silence reigned fore and aft, excepting the occa- 
sional sound of Mr Turner's footsteps as he 
slowly paced the weather side of the poop. 



242 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

Having been in the cuddy to see the time — nine 
o'clock — I lay down on the deck for an hours 
dose, when I was startled at hearing the after- 
bell struck three times. No one keeping time 
but myself, and besides its not being in accord- 
ance with the hour, led me to suppose there 
was something wrong with the helmsman, 
Edgren Andrews, one of the ordinary seamen. 
Hastening down the poop-ladder on his way 
for'ard, he said he had come over very unwell, 
and entreated me to take the wheel for a short 
time while he went into the forecastle to get a 
"swig " of cold tea. After a few minutes he took' 
his post again, and I returned to the quarter- 
deck. Barely a quarter of an hour had elapsed 
before the bell was a second time struck. 
Andrews met me half-way on the poop. He 
said he still felt very bad — so ill, in fact, that 
he was obliged a second time to leave the wheel 
without waiting to be relieved. He promised 
to take my next wheel if I would end his now ; 
but, naturally, I was glad to relieve the poor 
fellow. I thought his conduct a little strange * 
somehow. In the morning, seeing he looked 
no worse, I inquired the cause of his late indis- 



A GHOST AT SEA. 243 

position. He took me on the forecastle-head, 
and there, upon his oath, related the following 
circumstances : As the evening set in, Captain 

F 's ghost appeared on the weather side 

of the poop, anxiously looking at the sails and 
the sky ; but all in a moment turning towards 
him, presented such a terrible expression of 
features that he nearly dropped from fright : 
it. was then that he struck the bell. In his 
country— he was a Swede — they guarded 
against spirits by carrying a knife and a Bible 
about their persons ; so when I relieved him 
the first time, it was to procure these articles. 
He mentioned, in parenthesis, that although 
he might have filled a bucket with knives, he 
couldn't get a Bible ; but happening to possess 
an old Swedish novel, he pocketed that, relying 
on our late captain's ignorance of the Swedish 
language for success with the substituted book. 
However, he added, it wouldn't do. When 
he returned, and I went away, the ghost again 
became visible, but this time slowly walking 
up and down the poop, until, approaching the 
binnacle, and noticing the card, he made violent 
signs to him to alter the ship's course. This so 



244 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

horrified him that he struck the bell, and ran 
away, taking, to shorten the distance, the 
weather side, when the spectre barred the way, 
refusing to let him pass the officer's side, and 
obliging him to go to leeward. 

Off the island of Banca we were struck by 
a nasty squall, such as the vicinity of islands 
produces in general, but there in particular. 
When our watch came on deck at eight o'clock 
the weather looked fine enough — a starry sky, 
and only a light breeze carrying us along at 
the rate of three knots. Nothing occurred until 
eleven o'clock, when, to our astonishment, it 
was observed that what we had been taking for 
land was in reality a heavy bank of black clouds, 
which now rapidly ascended from the horizon. 
Immediately rings out the order, " Clew up the 
mizzen-royal!" and before we had time to obey, 
" Let go fore and main royal halyards ! " Kain 
came down in drowning torrents ; and, as some 
ran to execute the multitudinous orders, others 
cut below to fetch oilskins and sou'- westers. 
She soon laid over to it at an unpleasant angle. 
"Let go your fore and mizzen topgallant hal- 
yards ! " roared out the captain, who had hast- 



A SQUALL, 245 

ened on deck, u and stand by the main ! " The 
confusion was indescribable. Eaining "cats 
and dogs," blowing, darkening as the clouds 
swept upon us, we had our hands full. Pre- 
sently a lull takes place, a shaking of the sails, 
and before we have time to look round, the 
wind chops from off the starboard beam to the 
port bow with renewed force. Land hemmed 
us in on all sides, and our position was emi- 
nently critical. With our utmost exertions, we 
were able to haul the yards round before she 
gathered much sternway, and then the watch 
below were called! after we had done all the 
work. The mainsail was hauled up, and royals 
and top-gallant sails stowed. By the morning 
the sun rose as bright as ever, the wind became 
fair and steady, the mainsail and light sails 
were set, and we proceeded on our course, 
wiser by experience, under a mizzen-royal stay- 
sail. This day appropriately was a Sunday — 
23d November; and during the afternoon, 
while I was at the wheel from twelve to two, 
we passed the British ship John Milton, of 
Jersey, bound east. 
A very peculiar effect of mirage is noticeable 



246 TWO YEARS ABAIT TEE MAST. 

about here. Any land situated about the hori- 
zon has the singular appearance of floating in 
the air, the sky being plainly visible between 
it and the sea ; and as one draws nearer, the 
centre first touches, then the sides, causing it 
to assume the shape of an arc downwards. 
With islands covered with wood, the trees 
seem to be growing upon nothing for some con- 
siderable time before the land rises to the view. 

As the day closed in, we were sailing smoothly 
along, almost due south, the island of Sumatra 
on our right, and Banca on our left; but so soon 
as the sun had gone down, squalls took posses- 
sion of the night, coming in sudden gusts. If the 
wind had been fair, the captain would no doubt 
have chanced the narrow channel and moonless 
nights, and run before them with square yards. 
Although during the day it kept about a point 
free, at night-time it chopped round dead a- 
head. We were obliged to drop anchor, furl 
all the sails, and wait till morning. Lightning, 
thunder, and rain varied the monotony of our 
rest ; the peals of thunder were so terrific that 
the ship trembled under the concussion. 

Tuesday, the 25th. — Head wind all day, and 



THE SHIP AGROUND. 247 

tacking ship eveby ten minutes. Between five 
and six o'clock in the evening, nearing the low- 
lying shore of Sumatra, we once more ran to 
our respective places at the mate's order, " Sta- 
tions ! " (all night in : all hands on deck). 
Helm-a-lee ! Jib -sheets and fore -sheet are 
let go, tacks and sheets raised, and we stand 
by the crossjack braces, ready to haul round 
the . after-yards directly she gets near enough 
to the wind. The wind has died away to a 
light breeze, and she comes up but slowly. 
Presently the captain sings out, "Flatten in 
jib-sheets ! " followed by " Board fore-tack and 
haul aft your fore-sheet!" She doesn't seem 
to move either way. We ea^: orf the spanker- 
sheet, but to no purpose; there she remains. 
Mr Turner heaves the lead for'ard, and the 
cause is plain to all. We are aground; the 
ship is a foot and a half in the mud by the 
bows, but apparently afloat aft. It was a 
couple of hours past flood. "Clew up the 
royals ! " and as I spring up at the fore, the 
quarter-boat is being lowered with the kedge- 
anchor. From the fore-royal-yard I obtained 
an extensive view of the land, which was 



248 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

covered with dense woods and jungle. A few 
birds could be discerned hurrying to their 
night quarters. The scene was strikingly wild 
and solitary as the sun sank beneath the dis- 
tant tree-tops. Our distance from the shore 
might have been 200 yards, and the trees and 
bushes grew down to the water's edge so 
densely that any attempt at landing and mov- 
ing in any direction would have been an im- 
possibility. A few large birds could be seen 
hovering about the shore, while the hum and 
clatter of the smaller ones retiring to rest for 
the night was plainly audible. 

Getting on deck again, I found the hands 
manning the capstan on the quarter-deck, 
heaving on the warp. We got a couple of 
turns in, but the ship never moved ; it was the 
anchor dragging home. At eight o'clock anchor- 
watch was set, the warp being secured round 
the bitts, waiting for the morning's tide. Hav- 
ing to turn out for an hour at 1 P.M., I soon 
went below, and rolling into my bunk, fell 
asleep. When 1 came on deck, the ship was 
lying over nearly on her beam-ends, from the 
tide receding, and everything looked dispiriting 



AFLOAT ONCE MORE. 24b 

enough. The captain anxiously hove the lead 
over the tafferel every quarter of an hour with 
"Chips" and the mate, but the ship did not 
change her position. Our position was novel 
and unexpected, if nothing else, and nobody 
seemed to know how long we should remain 
in this helpless condition. At half-past ten, 
one of the customary night squalls swept over 
us, and as the topsails and courses had not 
been stowed, they slatted furiously to and fro. 
However, by bracing the yards to the wind no 
damage was incurred. Before doing so, the 
captain had ordered the yards to be braced 
square to the wind, in the hopes of driving us 
off, but without effect. 

At high water next morning we once more 
manned the capstan, and we put> our utmost 
strength and weight on the bars. "Gome 
lads," said "Chips," who was next to me, 
" heave — heave and paul ! " " Surge hand- 
somely, Johnson." In , a few minutes we are 
walking steadily round. This time we are not 
heaving the " kedge " home — we ourselves are 
moving ; the good ship glides once more into 
her briny element. 4 smile simultaneously 



250 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

shines on the captain's face, and before the 
order is well delivered, we are up aloft loosing 
the top-gallant sails and royals. By a stroke of 
luck we got off without the slightest damage ; 
and although the wind was still ahead, we did 
our best by beating against it — tacking every 
quarter of an hour. As night closed in we let 
go the anchor, and as the sky looked threaten- 
ing, all the sails were furled. We were having 
enough of the Straits ; what with dropping 
anchor and stowing sails, weighing in the 
morning and loosing them again, and beating 
down against a head wind, growling was plen- 
tiful. 

During almost all this night it poured with 
rain, but seemingly it did not deter the spectre 
captain from again appearing. Baker and 
Scottie swore the next morning that they saw 
him sitting in his favourite arm-chair on the 
poop, while they were keeping their anchor- 
watch from 1 to 2 A.M. ; and further, that he 
was the more noticeable on account of the 
white pants he wore. He remained sitting in 
the rain, idiotically defying rheumatics for about 
half an hour, when he vanished. Feeling satis 



THE GHOST AGAIN. 251 

fied that the ghost had quitted the ship, Scottie 
mustered up his courage and went aft to see the 
time ; but, horror ! the apparition stood at the 
§nd of the passage at the cuddy-door with its 
arms folded, and looking fiercely at him. He 
bolted for'ard and told Baker ; and rather than 
attempt to see the clock again, they guessed 
the time, and, in consequence, did not call 
their relieving shipmates till twenty minutes 
past the hour. Scottie was a "wild Heelan'- 
man," and alone would not have commanded 
much credit; but Baker was a man of sound 
common-sense, surprising as it may seem. 



252 TWO YEARS ABAFT IRE MAST. 



CHAPTER XIIL 



FOB ST HELENA. 



A LEADING wind sprang up early the following 
morning, and at daybreak we weighed anchor, 
set all sail, and under a taut bowline we stood 
out of the Straits, going seven knots; but in 
the evening the wind chopped round ahead 
again, and during the night there was frequent 
lightning. Next day, Saturday, we again made 
a little headway, and in the afternoon a couple 
of boats came off from Anjer with fruit, cocoa- 
nuts, sugar, Java sparrows, and a number of 
other beautiful little birds. The captain bought 
thirty-five of the latter, a quantity of small 
onions and cocoa-nuts, and some of their pecu- 
liar sugar. He gave four cocoa-nuts and a large 
basket of onions to the house, the latter of which 



BETEL- NUT CHEWING. 253 

we pickled. The natives here have a habit of 
chewing the " betel - nut," which colours the 
saliva a crimson red, and as it dribbles down 
each side of their mouth it looks like blood! 
They remained alongside until the evening, 
when a breeze sprang up — head wind again — 
and we resumed our wearisome task of tacking. 
The discontent increased amongst the men ; we 
went " about ship " every two hours during the 
night', and no doubt some patiences were well 
tried, especially as some men almost think the 
captain answerable for an unfavourable wind. 
My arms ached badly from the continual box- 
hauling and pulling up staysail- sheets over the 
stays. 

Sunday afternoon, the wind chopped round 
a bit, and became a leading wind down the 
Straits, much to our delight. The land is gen- 
erally high and thickly wooded, but without 
any great beauty. We lost sight of it finally, 
Tuesday 2d December, having been, four days 
beating down the Straits of Sunda. The 
weather, which had been very variable lately, • 
with occasional showers, now set in wet for 
three days, and, the wind hauling round again 



254 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

ahead, we had a miserable time of it — for sailors 
dislike rain even more than a blow. A fair 
wind and fine weather at last returning, we 
made the best of it by crowding on studding- 
sails. 

During the one day's calm that intervened, 
prior to the change of weather, the monotony 
of ship life was relieved by one of Jack's best 
sports — catching a shark. It being our watch 
on deck in the afternoon, we were all variously 
at work — repairing rigging, mending sails, and 
making sennit and foxes. The sails hung lazily 
down the masts ; while the man at the wheel 
leant drowsily over it, with his arms folded 
between the spokes, and protected from the 
scorching sun by an awning. The sky, as 
usual in a calm, was covered with small streaky 
and fleecy clouds, and further obscured by a 
blending haze; it produced a kind of lead 
colour, which was reflected all round by the 
endless waste of waters. Presently Scottie, 
■who was on the port mainyard-arm, splicing in 
a grommet on to the jackstay, sings out, "A 
shark on port bow!" In an instant we left 
our work, and rushed on the forecastle-head 



CATCHING A SHARK. 255 

to see the marine monster the better. Sure 
enough there it was, about four feet below the 
surface, and six or seven feet from the ship, 
and, with the exception of an occasional sway 
of its tail, motionless as a log of wood. It 
seemed not to be affected in the least by the 
noise the water made in washing backwards 
-and forwards round the stem. A shark-hook 
was soon procured by the carpenter, and a large 
piece of beef having been affixed, Baker went 
out with it on the bobstays to the martingale 
end, and there, with the bight of the line in his 
hand, dropped and splashed it about with as 
much noise as possible. The voracious fish, 
"slewing" round, slowly glided on, as if to 
punish the temerity of one who dared disturb 
his peace, and turning right over on his back, 
made a clean mouthful of both hook and meat. 
Most of the watch below were on deck now, 
tailing on to the rope holding the hook ; but 
our zeal was too much., Thinking the shark 
was safely ours, directly the hook disappeared 
within its jaws we tugged and hauled so ener- 
getically that the grim - looking fish became 
thoroughly disgusted, which it clearly demon- 



256 TWO YEARS ABAFT TEE MAST. 

strated by letting go the hook but keeping 
the bait! Another piece was soon put on, 
and we again drew its attention our way by 
dancing the lump of meat in the water. Fair- 
ly secured this time, we vigorously hauled on 
the line, slackening and tautening alternately 
with the fellow's powerful dashes and sweeps. 
Having got him half-way between the water 
and the cathead, we feared he would stave in 
the planks and open the seams in the bows 
with the battering of his tail. At last the bully 
of the deep was hauled right on to the fore- 
castle head, when a serio-comic drama ensued. 
Johnson and another man were knocked down 
in a twinkling; and, scared at the eccentric 
behaviour of the fish — which acted like most 
fish out of water, only with unusual spirit — 
we scampered away, some up the fore-rigging, 
some down on the main - deck. Meanwhile, 
our cold-blooded "specimen" carried on like 
mad ; now on its side, with nose and tail in the 
air — now reversed, with only the tip of either 
nose or tail touching the deck. For five min- 
utes no one dared approach him ; then, profiting 
by a momenta^ stoppage, and armed with his 



PORTUGUESE MEN-OF-WAR. 257 

large axe, "Chips" cut off his tail at one blow. 
This is the only effectual method of stilling a 
shark; and as he lay nearly motionless, the 
blood streamed along the white deck. By 
means of ropes he was lowered on to the main- 
deck and cut open. The fins and tail make 
good sand-paper. Sailors will not eat shark 
under any consideration, as they believe it is 
like eating their fellow " salts " upon whom the 
monster fed. But the apprentices, not being 
quite such " old sailors," had several big slices 
cut out and cooked. It is very tough, and has 
an intense fishy taste. 

One of the prettiest and most striking objects 
in calm weather is a " Portuguese man-o'-war." 
On the vast ocean their minuteness makes 
them remarkable; and on a quiet sunshiny 
day numbers of these little fellows, with their 
pink sail hoisted, may be seen scudding along 
before the zephyr — blowing to them a gale of 
wind. Beside the "Portuguese man-o'-war," 
there is another little creature, somewhat re- 
sembling him in his looks and habits. Both 
belong to the briny ocean ; but while the " Por- 
tuguese man-o'-war" might be compared to the 



25S TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

bluff-bowed frigate, the Nautilus resembles the 
graceful, fanciful yacht. The Nautilus is a 
fine- weather tar ; wnile the other, although un- 
able to face anything like a gale, is yet a hardy 
sailor, "carrying on" sometimes to such an 
extent as would make many a bold skipper 
blush with shame when taking in his mizzen- 
top-gallant sail. The sail or membrane of the 
" Portuguese man-o'-war " is of pale-blue colour, 
edged with pink; and many a time have I 
hauled him out of his native seas in drawing 
the customary bucket of water at eight bells to 
test the thermometers. 

On the 8th December we entered the " trades," 
and soon after fell in with large numbers of 
birds called by sailors "boobies" or "Indian 
Ocean geese," which frequent these parts. 
They habitually settle on ships' yards at sun- 
set, and remain there during the night if un- 
disturbed. Directly they fall asleep they are 
easily caught by any one who chooses to go 
aloft after them, although, being large birds, 
they sometimes make such good use of their 
powerful wings as to make the capturer glad to 
let them go. The 9th December, in lat. 12° 



A GALE. 259 

42' S., long. 94° 40' E., we passed and signalled 
the ship Star of Persia from England, bound to 
Calcutta. As she crossed our bows, plunging 
into and rising out of the sea, laying over under 
a main-skysail, she presented a fine sight. The 
next day, at about one bell of the afternoon 
watch, a sudden gust carried away our port fore- 
topmast- studding-sail boom with a loud crash, 
the boom brace, which serves as a stay, having 
parted. The wind being nearly on the beam, 
we had not much difficulty in getting the sails 
in. We lost the "trades" in 23° S., but soon 
after a stiff breeze sprang up on the quarter. 

On the 21st December we encountered a gale, 
the heaviest one since leaving Foo-chow. We 
had been lying for twelve hours in a dead 
calm, and the huge rollers rocking the ship 
plainly foretold what was coming. The sky 
was inky black, while the sea presented that 
dull leaden colour peculiar to treacherous wea- 
ther. In the evening the second mate, has- 
tening forward, sang out, "Clew up the main- 
royal ! " As I climbed the rigging to execute 
the order, large drops of rain fell; and just as 
I had got the bunt up, and the bunt-gasket 



260 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

passed, a strong puff came which, taking me 
unprepared, nearly blew me off the yard. 
Stepping down the Jacob's ladder, I heard a 
dim sound, as of somebody calling to me from 
the deck, and presently a rattling noise beside 
me showed the halyards had been let go, and 
the topgallant yard was going down with a run. 
There was no mistaking things now. Having 
stowed the maintop-gallant sail, we descended 
on deck, and went up to the mizzen upper top- 
sail, while others were laying out on the bow- 
sprit, furling the outer jib. A strong steady 
breeze from the S.E., with a high sea, was the 
result, and we wildly dashed along through 
foam and surf at the rate of eight to ten miles 
an hour. 

We were now nearing the Cape of Good 
Hope, and the older " shells " said we might 
expect a continuation of this kind of weather 
until we got round to the other side, although 
it was summer-time in these latitudes. But 
happily they prophesied unwisely for once at 
all events. In a couple of days the clouds 
cleared off, the wind fell to a gentle breeze, and 
the sea gradually went down. This was very 



KILLING THE PIG. 261 

fortunate, as Christmas was approaching, and 
everybody wanted the 25th December to be a 
fine day at least. The captain gave orders to 
the cook to kill the big Australian sow, which, 
on the morning of the 24th, he proceeded to 
carry out, though not without a laughable 
breakdown. He was securing its legs on the 
main -hatch, when an unexpected roll of the 
ship sent both pig and cook sliding into 
the lee-scuppers. The pig, willing enough to 
be killed in a fair straightforward way, failed 
to comprehend the reason of this manoeuvre, 
and struggled desperately, and with success, to 
free itself ; whilst the cook vainly endeavoured 
to get on his feet, the deck being very slippery 
from having only just been washed. There 
was " Slushy," sometimes over, sometimes un- 
der the pig ; now shoving it bodily away, now 
hanging on to it by the hind-legs ; and both 
keeping up such a chorus of sounds as fairly 
to bring all hands on deck, who enjoyed the 
fun heartily. 

The next job after the pig was killed, was to 
scald it to get off the bristles ; and the wash- 
deck tub having been got alongside the galley, 



262 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

" Slushy " was going to fill it, when a thought 
struck us how we should get the pig in. We 
certainly could not lift it up with our strength 
alone, so we rigged up a boom from the top of 
the house to the foretopmast backstay, and 
fixing a tackle amidships by means of a strap, 
we slung him up, and into the tub of boiling 
water, which he fitted so closely that his body 
touched the side all round. " Pull him out ! " 
said the cook ; and we bore down on the tackle 
fall with a will, but nothing moved ; the pig 
was jammed in, perhaps by the swelling of the 
body in the hot water. Two fresh men coming 
to lend us a hand, we bore down on the fall 
with a determination, whetted by our previous 
defeat, which nearly ran up " two blocks " pig 
and tub. However, by a couple sitting on the 
edge of the tub while the others hauled, we 
managed to extricate our friend. Armed with 
saucepan-lids we set to scraping away, but to 
our dismay, we found that the layers of paint 
with which his back was covered sadly in- 
creased our difficulties. "At last we succeeded 
after a fashion, when we left our work, and the 
cook took charge. 



CHRISTMAS-DAY AT SEA. 263 

25 th December, Christmas- day. — The sea 
was smooth, the sky a dark blue, and the 
breeze moderate. It is a dull day at sea. We 
washed in the morning, and put on our clean 
things ; but we had no visits to pay, none to 
receive; no preparations for the afternoon or 
evening dance ; no family meetings, which con- 
stitute a real Christmas cheer. Some took 
their pipes on to the forecastle-head, where 
stories were related of past Christmas-days at 
home. Others contented themselves with read- 
ing in their bunks, I being amongst the num- 
ber. For dinner we had, besides the fresh 
pork (a great treat after the salt meat), double 
rations of preserved potatoes, and a large plum- 
pudding for each mess. Jack never is con- 
tented ; some were growling because they had 
no melted butter or sauce with the pudding. 
The plums were scarce : and well might a soli- 
tary one say to another, " Here am I — where are 
you?" Some call it- "railway duff," with a 
plum at every station, which does not say much 
for the proximity of the stations. Grog was 
served out in the afternoon, and again in the 
evening. Luckily the wind held steady all 



264 TWO YEARS ABAFT TEE MAST. 

day. so that we neither touched brace nor hal- 
yard. This was my second Christmas-day at 
sea, and cheerless enough I thought it. The 
previous one, happening on our outward-bound 
passage, when just before embarking all hands 
had had a good spell ashore, passed off with 
a certain amount of joviality. And then the 
novelty of meeting old Father Christmas under 
a tropical sun, together with a sprinkling of 
romance still left in me, and called forth by the 
beauteous expanse of blue sky and water, over 
which we gracefully glided under all plain sail, 
impressed me quite differently. But since then 
I had learned a little more of sea life. Old 
Father Neptune, jocular enough to the young 
salt-water aspirant before treading his ship, 
becomes cold in the extreme so soon as he has 
him at sea, sparing no effort in trying to knock 
all romance out of him. 

Boxing-day came, and with it a clouded sky. 
The wind gradually increased during the day, 
and a heavy sea swayed the ship with alternate 
heaves. During the afternoon the mizzen, fore 
and main royals, and flying jib were taken off 
the ship ; and 'in our dog-watch, from 4 to 6 



A MAN OVERBOARD. 265 

p.m., we stowed the mizzen and fore top-gallant 
sails in a drizzling rain. J was heartily glad at 
four bells to get below to have my tea, and 
enjoy a couple of hours of dryness. The wind 
blew shrilly through the rigging and ropes, 
whilst the sea rolled over and over in black 
foaming masses, sending now and again a mali- 
cious spray sweeping across the deck. M'Ewan 
fetched the tea from the galley in the only two 
remaining hook-pots of both watches, whilst I 
got out from the locker the plates and the kid, 
vinegar-bottle, and bread-barge. Having fin- 
ished our sumptuous meal, I put the utensils 
away ; and we both turned in our bunks to in- 
dulge in a smoke and a read until eight bells 
summoned us on deck again. 

Presently Johnson came in and enlivened us 
with his quaint remarks and quainter songs. 
Knowing he was working very hard at naviga- 
tion, I inquired when he thought of " passing 
the Board " for second mate, and he replied 
that he hoped to do so whenever the ship re- 
turned to England. " Stow the outer jib ! " 
sang out the mate, rushing by, and Johnson 
vanished out of the doorway. Five minutes 



266 TWO YEARS ABAFT TEE MAST. 

might have elapsed, when suddenly a shouting 
was heard on deck. There came such a wild 
sound, so unlike the customary voice of the 
mate, or the singing out of the watch on a 
" downhaul," that M'Ewan, springing up in his 

bunk, said, " S , what's that ? " But as he 

was naturally of an excitable nature, I replied, 
" Oh, it's all right! perhaps the ■ downhaul' has 
carried away." But he jumped out of his bunk 
and went on deck, from whence he speedily re- 
turned. " Come out, man ! there's something 
wrong," he said to me, hurriedly ; and in an in- 
stant I was on deck. I shall not easily forget 
the scene of indescribable confusion which there 
met my eyes. All hands were on deck running 
here and there. It was a man overboard! 
" Who is it ? who's gone % " everybody asked. 
" Johnson," replied the second mate, as he excit- 
edly told me to give him a pull on the port fore- 
buntline. " Poor fellow ! " I heard several say. 
" Haul up the mainsail ! " roared out the mate : 
" Slack away your sheet ! " " Bear down on the 
clewgarnets, lads ! " The next order was, " Lee 
fore brace ! " and we hauled the yards forward 
to beat as close up to windward as possible. 



A MAN OVERBOARD. 267 

We were now under the three lower topsails 
only. There was a man at each masthead 
looking out ; and the rest of the hands on deck 
gathered on the weather side of the forecastle- 
head, vainly stretching their eyes each time we 
rose. What breathless excitement marked every 
face! eagerness to rescue a fellow-being from 
death — impotency to act. The captain walked 
hurriedly up and down the weather side of the 
poop, anxiously looking through his glasses at 
intervals. " Poor Johnson ! " " Who would have 
thought it, now ? " " Well, there's a chance yet," 
were the ejaculations heard from his shipmates. 
The wind blew bleak and strong, and the huge 
waves grew blacker and blacker as the evening 
gave way to night. Half-a-dozen men wanted 
to lower the quarter-boat to go in search of 
him ; but the captain wisely forbade it, as his 
whereabouts was now not known, and they 
themselves would be in great danger in such a 
heavy sea. The helmsman threw him a life- 
buoy as he floated past the stern, which being 
painted white was more distinguishable than a 
man; whether he laid hold of it or not was 
never known. The unfortunate man was never 



268 TWO TEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

again seen. On account of the danger in bring- 
ing the ship to the wind in that high sea, she 
was wore round, and in the large circle made 
the masthead-men lost sight of the unhappy 
sailor ; indeed, I believe we were three or four 
miles to leeward by the time we came up on 
the other tack. "We shall see no more of 
Johnson," said Turner to me, which I thought 
too true to need a reply. After beating up for 
half an hour, the captain came to the break of 
the poop, and himself gave the order to set sail 
and stand on our course again. This sealed 
poor Johnson's fate. Without doubt he could 
plainly see us all the while (he was a good 
swimmer), and when he saw us vanishing away, 
what mast have been his state of mind? It 
seemed hard to leave our unhappy shipmate to 
his terrible end— and we but half obeyed the 
order, still hoping we might see him ; but by 
the time the three upper topsails were hoisted, 
and the foresail and mainsail set, darkness had 
so completely set in as to finally show the use- 
lessness of further delay. This was a sad blow 
to all of us : a good ordinary seaman, a genial 
shipmate, his loss was much felt, and the more 



FEELINGS ON HIS LOSS. 269 

so by its suddenness. In dipping for the gasket 
under the jib-boom, he either missed the foot- 
rope, or was swept off by a sea, having let him- 
self down the martingale to clear the gasket end. 
JBaker, who was next and just above him, said 
that the port bow struck and turned him over ; 
but apparently he was not hurt, as George, who 
was at the wheel, distinctly saw him smile when 
drifting by the stern. James Johnson, native 
of Aberdeen, shipped in Hong-Kong, was only 
nineteen years of age, although he might have 
passed for twenty-two. 

At eight o'clock that night, when our watch 
came ou deck'for its four hours, we silently sat 
down on a spar under the lee of the house. A 
long time elapsed before a word was spoken. 
A solitary ship at sea, surrounded day after 
day, week after week, by nothing but sky and 
water, and cut off from all the living world, 
becomes a little world in itself — its inhabitants 
being so dependent on one another, that the 
loss of one occasions a gap never properly filled 
up. The awful suddenness usually attending 
these accidents scarcely impresses the mind at 
first with the gravity of the fact: it is only 



270 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

when the excitement is over, and the watch is 
quietly together, as we were then, that one 
fully realises the event — the loss of a man. Hk 
bunk is vacant, his. hook -pot and pannikin 
hang by the side, and his chest, unowned and* 
unopened, plainly tells of a missing man. At 
five bells the second mate ordered the fore 
upper topsail to be furled ; and as I felt my 
way up the rigging, rolling and rising in the 
pitchy darkness, I had, as no doubt others had, 
the fate of Johnson before my eyes. 

It is customary at sea to sell by auction a 
deceased seaman's effects, so that the proceeds 
may be handed over to his nearest relations. 
Accordingly, the following afternoon, during the 
first dog-watch, the weather having cleared up, 
all hands were called to the main - hatch to 
assist at the auction, the mate acting as auc- 
tioneer. I thought it would have been a mel- 
ancholy affair; but happy-go-lucky Jack is 
marvellously light-hearted : his sorrow is but of 
short duration. He does not attempt to buy 
anything cheap ; on the contrary, he gladly 
pays double the value with the view of aug- 
menting the fund. Trousers, boots, Crimean 



AN AUCTION AT SEA. 271 

shirts, dungarees, ducks, go -ashore togs, all 
passed the hammer amid any amount of joking 
caused by the dilapidated condition of some of 
the articles held up, which state was sufficient 
in itself for the mate to warrant their sound- 
ness. " Now," said the mate, holding up an 
old greasy tarry pair of dungaree pants, worth 
perhaps a good washing and nothing more, 
" how much for this elegant sailor-like pair of 
trousers ? " We look at each other and at the 
auctioneer, to see who will make the first bid. 
" Half-a-crown ! " sings out Jack Anderson. 
" Three bob ! " follows up George. " Four bob, 
and who wants them ! " closes in the " Doctor ; " 
and the trousers are knocked down to him. A 
pilot-coat, nearly new, occasions some spirited 
bidding. Somebody starts with £1. Baker 
and Andrew sing out together 25s., and Ander- 
son 30s. Baker finally carries it off at £2. 
Everything was bought but his chest (a Chinese 
camphor - wood one). Whether superstition 
covered it or not, I am unable to say ; but it 
was lashed up under the jolly-boat, on the 
quarter-deck skids, where it remained. 

The weather now decidedly changed for the 



W* TWO YEARS ABAFT TEE MAST. 

better ; although a head wind, it was so moder- 
ate that the sails were barely filled, and the 
sea was only rippled ; but the nights were 
chilly. We passed Algoa Bay the 3d January, 
and so close into land that the captain saw the 
ships in harbour by means of his glasses. The 
coast was barren and sandy looking from the 
distance we saw it. We came up with a large 
painted -port ship in crossing the meridian of 
the Cape ; but as it was past 8 p.m. we could 
not see to signal. Being in the track of all 
westward - bound vessels, we passed several 
others, too far off, however, to speak, with the 
exception of one, the Eoyal Charlie, from 
Calcutta bound to Dundee, seventy-six days 
out. Having doubled the Cape, we shaped a 
more northerly course, and soon fell in with the 
S.E. trades, proceeding under square yards up 
the South Atlantic, and steering for St Helena, 
where the captain intended to put in for water 
and fresh provisions. It sometimes happens 
that captains, in making for this little rocky 
island, altogether miss it in consequence of 
some slight error in navigation ; or else, when 
sighted, it is so far off on the beam as not to 



ON THE LOOK-OUT FOR LAND. 273 

warrant the delay attending such an alteration 
of course, inasmuch as calling there is not 
generally of absolute necessity. The captain 
offered one pound of tobacco to the first man 
who should sight it, and five pounds of pre- 
served apples to the second; so that a man 
needed no telling to relieve the look-out. 

The climate daily became warmer; and in 
our respective watches we were busily employ- 
ed cleaning, scraping, and painting the ship to 
look respectable going into port. Two months 
had elapsed since any of us had touched land ; 
and we were looking forward, with no small 
degree of pleasure, to the prospect of being in 
harbour, with the bare possibility of a favoured 
few amongst us getting a run ashore. At last, 
one evening, the mate came forward saying 
the island would very soon be in sight, and 
bade the look-out have his eyes about him. 
Although my first watch below that night, I 
remained on the forecastle-head till four bells, 
hoping for the honour of singing out " Land 
ho ! " the first, to say nothing of the material 
reward promised. Nothing had yet been seen 
when we came on deck at midnight ; and in- 
s 



274 TWO YEARS ABAFT TEE MAST. 

stead of turning in at 4 A.M., M'Ewan and I took 
up positions on the lower and upper topsail 
yards respectively. As the faint morning light 
dawned over from the eastward, I strained my 
sight to its utmost, hut to no avail. A little 
bluish-grey peak on the horizon ahead would 
all at once absorb my attention. Looking 
steadfastly at it, two such dots, then three 
would appear, until reality cancelled the two 
imaginary ones. Still watching the hazy out- 
line, equally satisfied that that was land and the 
tobacco mine, I would be on the point of sing- 
ing out, when taking one last look I found I 
had been basing my enthusiasm on both a 
castle and a cloud in the air. 

Suddenly I heard " Land ho ! " from aft : the 
captain was the first to see St Helena. As it 
sometimes happens, because of layers of mist, 
the land was seen on deck before it was dis- 
cernible from aloft. We quickly approached 
it with a fine breeze, going along nine knots ; 
and as the ship drew near, its bold outline 
and steep and craggy cliffs were very striking. 
Being at the wheel, I was better able to notice 
the scenery than if I had been with the others 



ST HELENA. 275 

clearing away for letting go the anchor. The 
N.E. side is an almost perpendicular wall of 
rock, rising out of a mass of boiling surge, 
which every now and then dashes itself with 
violence against its foot, concealing it in a 
cloud of spray. The clear atmosphere, together 
with the great height of the wall, makes the 
distance curiously deceptive. As we passed, it 
appeared not more than a biscuit's-throw from 
the ship ; whereas it really was nearly a mile 
off. 

We rounded the point and let go the anchor 
before the little town of Jamestown. There is 
a continual roar, like distant thunder, caused 
by the everlasting breaking of the huge At- 
lantic rollers against the iron-bound coasts. 
Looking at the island up the valley in which 
the town is built, it would be difficult to pic- 
ture a more romantic little spot. Lying in 
mid-ocean, at a distance of over 1000 miles 
from the mainland — the African coast — it re- 
minds one of an oasis in the desert.* James- 

* St Helena is ten and a half miles long and six a half 
miles broad, its highest point reaching an altitude of 2700 
feet. Discovered by the Portuguese navigator Juan de Nova 



276 TWO YEARS ABAFT TEE MAST. 

town, seen from the sea, looks quaint and old- 
fashioned. Its red brick and plaster buildings ; 
old red brick church, with lofty steeple ; the 
flat quay, stretching the length of the town, 
with a drawbridge leading thereto, and guard- 
ed by a curious old sentry-porch, give it the 
appearance of an old Dutch seaport, if allow- 
ance be made for the hills surrounding it and 
the high cliffs on either side. When a ship 
arrives in port, she is the object of the most 
severe criticism from all the other vessels ; 
but our fresh -painted masts and clean bright 
work could make no other than a favourable 
impression. 

Having dropped anchor, we furled all the sails 
snugly, coiled the ropes down, and knocked off 
work for the remainder of the day, it being then 
about eleven o'clock. The inevitable officials 
boarded us in due course ; the doctor amongst 
them. "Any illness aboard, captain?" he said, 
shaking hands with him; "any casualty to 
report ? M " No ; nothing beyond the loss of a 

Castella on the 21st May 1501 (St Helena's Day), it has* 
since become historically celebrated as the place where 
Napoleon I. ended his career and life. 



NIGGER SALESMEN. 277 

man overboard on the 26th December," an- 
swered our skipper ; which fact was forthwith 
noted in a pocket - book. Soon after this he 
went ashore to ship a new man, see the agents, 
and order some fresh provisions. Meanwhile, 
boat after boat arrived alongside with their 
loads of niggers with things likely to tempt 
Jack. Soft tack, fruit, photographs of Napo- 
leon's tomb, second-hand clothes and sea-boots 
left in the island by whalemen, pretty little 
birds, and curious bead -necklaces. They ex- 
posed their wares for sale along by the bul- 
warks ; but such was the mutual friendly love 
of these black salesmen, that most of their time 
was occupied in protecting their respective 
property from each other's hands. In fact, 
they kept up ? continual disturbance even 
before they boarded us, and at last they carried 
on in so boisterous a manner that the mate 
sent them flying over the bulwarks with a 
rope's end, catching their goods up as best 
they could. I thought T should have split 
my sides laughing as many got into the wrong 
boats. Three worthies slid down and cast off in 
a craft that belonged to none of them, which 



278 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

was sufficient reason for all to innocently claim 
possession ; and as they drifted away from the 
ship — to judge by the indifference with which 
they received and dealt blow after blow on 
each other's woolly heads — but little heed was 
attached to one another's supposed rights, not- 
withstanding the amount of pressure brought 
to bear, in a double sense, in their respective 
causes. But the wicked trio did not notice 
that they were drifting down on a boat con- 
taining the rightful owner, who, whilst they 
kept up the tussle, and every moment threatened 
to capsize their boat, but ill concealed his sup- 
pressed wrath by striking his black woolly head 
on the gunwale and dipping his feet in the 
water. He was on them like a thunderbolt, 
capsized the frail and overtaxed bark with 
equal promptitude, and all four hanging on, 
shrieking and fighting, they drifted alongside 
a whaler, whose crew ultimately restored peace 
and concord amongst them. 

We made a good dinner in the house on fish, 
eggs, and soft-tommy; for we, together with 
" Chips," had been for six weeks putting by 
half our "whack" of salt pork weekly, which 



A HUN ASHORE. 279 

we now exchanged for two dozen loaves. The 
captain was no sooner away from the ship than 
Mr Mason was again evidently drunk. Pro- 
fiting by this, three of the men went aft at four 
o'clock, and obtained permission to go ashore 
—which so emboldened the remainder, that all 
but one and a young Yankee whaleman, who 
had been, shipped to replace poor Johnson, 
followed their example with the same success. 
Neither were M'Ewan and I slow to avail our- 
selves of the opportunity of exploring the 
quaint little town. Everybody said it was a 
rare chance, and spirits were high. It is very 
seldom that a merchant sailor ever gets ashore 
here, for the reason that ships only put in for 
water or fresh provisions, and generally make 
sail again in twenty-four hours or thereabouts, 
unless damaged by bad weather. However, 
whalers frequently resort there to let their crews 
have a run ashore, after cruising a,bout in the 
Atlantic for several weary months. 

The mate had sufficient reason left to forbid 
the quarter-boat being lowered, so that a boat- 
man was hailed, who with his mate took us off; 
their large boat being down to the gunwale 



280 TWO YEARS ABAFT TEE 3IAS1 

in water. The landing is not far short of the 
horrible. There is no pier, no jetty, no break- 
water — nothing to arrest the force of the heavy 
rollers, which dash with a tremendous noise up 
against the stone stairs, now rising high up, 
now sinking low down. The boats are broad- 
beamed, and are fitted with a short pole in the 
stern fixed perpendicularly. As the wary boat- 
man cautiously approaches stern on, rising and 
sinking a dozen feet and more, hove right and 
left, you hang on to this while undergoing the 
"chucking about" business. An iron crane, 
with a rope attached, overhangs the steps 
which, should you miss stepping out at the 
exact moment, you lay hold of, and by that, 
means are swung on terra firma, hanging in the 
air. Once landed, we allowed the men to take 
the lead. For the same reason that the " after 
birds " do not like the apprentices entering the 
forecastle, so they look with disfavour on them 
accompanying its inmates ashore ; they are sup- 
posed to pick up the ideas of " old sailors * and 
" sea lawyers," and be otherwise contaminated. 
The consequence is, that when meeting a body of 
our forecastle friends in port, one is assailed with 



JAMESTOWN. 281 

a little chaffing — sarcastic and otherwise. " Hi ! 
look at our brass-bounders ! " " Make way for 
the midshipmen ! " " You did well to put on 
gloves : your hands are black and tarry enough." 
"What orders have you?" "Ah ! I would not 
be seen walking — ah ! with a common sailor ! " 
All given and received without the slightest 
offence. 

Walking along with high cliffs on our left 
and the harbour on our right, we reached the 
quay, or rather that which has the appearance 
of one, then crossing the moat, we entered 
Jamestown through the porch. In passing 
here after 9.30 p.m., all persons not belonging 
to the island have to sign their names in the 
guard - room. Before crossing the moat we 
halted to gaze upon the romance of the place. 
The waves as they rushed curling and sweep- 
ing along the beach with a loud roar, lent a 
pleasant harmonising sound to the occasion. 
Before us, out in the offing, lay the shipping ; 
at the back of it the wide ocean. The sun was 
then setting, and as he cast his gorgeously- 
coloured rays over the heavens, illuminating 
the scene with unparalleled glory, I was much 



282 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

struck with the peaceful beauty of a St Helena 
evening. Our ship looked but a little bark in 
the distance, gracefully bobbing on the swell ; 
and so diminutive did she seem — such a mere 
dot — that I could not refrain from wondering 
how we could possibly have found our way 
across so many thousand miles of sea, through 
storms and dark nights. 

We first of all made for the steep flight of 
steps called "Jacob's Ladder," but meeting a 
soldier on the way up, he informed us no one 
was allowed up or down after sunset. They 
are cut out of the solid rock, and number 365 
steps ; commencing at the foot of the right side 
of the valley looking from the sea, and rising 
in one straight line to the top of the cliff. Al- 
though each step is not high, it is so deep that 
the legs cannot stretch from one to the other as 
in going up the stairs of a house, consequent- 
ly the fatigue is much greater. We strolled 
up through the only street, and with nothing 
better to do, watched a number of little chil- 
dren, black as the ace of spades, playing at 
"Tom Tidler's Ground/' The only shop we 
found open was a kind of general store. In 



A SURPRISE. 283 

the windows we noticed Colman's mustard, 
Day and Martin's blacking, and various other 
home produce. Having entered the " Foresters' 
Arms," and indulged in a " liquor," where the 
landlord gave me several old copies of the 
' Daily News' (a great boon), we wended our 
way back to the sea; and whilst waiting for a 
boat we had hailed to take us off, the captain 
came down, got in his boat, and shoved off 
without saying a word: perhaps he was sur- 
prised at seeing us ashore, but greater aston- 
ishment was in store for him. 

We got aboard soon after he did, and shifted 
our dress. Presently I heard footsteps coming 
along the deck, and the voice of the second 
mate, " Man the windlass ! " — the time about 
half-past nine. Although doubtful of when we 
should sail, we certainly had not reckoned on 
it before the morning. Directly afterwards, 
the second mate, followed by Jack Anderson 
came into the house. The captain had inquired 
for the mate, and upon being told he was in 
his bunk sound asleep and unfit for duty, he 
gave orders to man the windlass, with the in- 
tention of putting out to sea that night. Mr 



284 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

Turner could do nothing but obey orders, not- 
withstanding that he knew full well the hands 
were ashore. Of course nothing now remained 
but to report the fact, which he did. The cap- 
tain took the already anticipated news very 
quietly, and we turned in for the night 



TO SEA ONCE MORE, 285 



CHAPTER XIV. 

FROM ST HELENA TO NEW YORK. 

The hands came aboard at three in the morning 
more or less in that interesting condition "known 
as " half-seas over." After breakfast, the mate 
having recovered the greater part of his senses, 
all hands were summoned aft to account for 
their leaving the ship, which was simple enough 
— the chief mate had granted them leave. The 
captain, although naturally vexed, was yet evi- 
dently amused at the absurd and contradictory 
statements of his first officer, who, fortunately 
or unfortunately, having no shame left in him, 
in no way felt the disgraceful position in which 
he was placed. While the others were heaving 
round the windlass, M'Ewan, Eeed, and I were 
up aloft loosing the sails ready for hoisting, 



236 TWO TEAKS ABAFT THE MAST. 

and by ten o'clock, under all plain sail, we 
stood out to sea, continuing, after a break of 
twenty-four hours, our voyage to New York. 

As there was only sufficient breeze to waft 
us through the water at the rate of four knots 
an hour, we did not lose sight of the island till 
the evening. The dark purple cliffs and patches 
of bright green vegetation glaring under a tro- 
pical sun, and further, standing out in bold 
contrast from- the general barrenness, all slow- 
ly, very slowly, were blended together in the 
one blue colour of distance ; and as we cleared 
the decks up, after getting the anchor inboard 
during the day, nothing remained in sight of 
the picturesque island of St Helena but a small 
faint blue mark on the distant horizon. Water- 
cress there is abundant, but a quantity we had 
was so bitter that no one could eat it. The 
water, which is noted, well deserves its good 
name, for it is excellent. I was pleased to re- 
ceive a letter from home the morning we arrived, 
as I had been nearly a year without receiving a 
letter from any one. 

Pemberton, our new shipmate and ordinary 
seaman, was a tall, lanky young fellow of about 



A YANKEE SHIPMATE. 287 

twenty years of age, and a native of Boston, 
U.S., where his father held the position of a 
well-to-do civil engineer. Upon inquiring the 
reason why he came to sea, he was very com- 
municative. His was the old tale. Having 
lost his situation through irregular hours, and 
spent all the money which his father had given 
him, the sea entered his head, and being of a 
somewhat roving disposition, he shipped in a 
whaler, which took the feelings of romance out 
of him at the customary rate. Eighteen months 
had elapsed since he sailed from America when 
the ship put into St Helena; and so utterly did 
he dislike the monotonous whaling life that he 
succeeded in getting his discharge. He had 
previously endeavoured to escape at Teneriffe. 
" I guess/' he added, in his nasal twang, " that 
when this craft reaches Ameriky I knock off 
the sea." 

Passing Ascension many miles off, we crossed 
the line for the fourth time since our leaving 
London, after a succession of light breezes from 
St Helena. When we had crossed to the north- 
ward a strong wind sprang up on the starboard 
beam, accompanied by torrents of rain, the ship 



288 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

booming along ten and eleven knots. The rain 
ceased after two days' continual downpour, but 
the breeze increased so that the royals, stay- 
sails, flying jib, mizzen and fore top-gallant sails, 
and outer jib were taken off the ship. She was 
laying over at such an angle, that going up to 
stow the foret op -gallant sail, as usual by the 
weather side, it was more like walking along a 
level. Calms and light airs followed, with intense 
heat. During one afternoon, while the watch 
was variously engaged at work, all more or less 
scorching in the sun, a steamer's smoke was 
descried away on our starboard beam, and she 
was soon observed to be bearing down upon 
us. As her speed apparently did not equal six 
miles an hour, a couple of hours elapsed be- 
fore she lay bobbing and rolling off our stern, 
with steam shut off. Why she stopped there 
we hardly knew, unless it were to admire our 
" blood and entrails " (the British ensign), as 
our Yankee shipmate remarked, after running 
it up to the mizzen-peak. She proved to be the 
Spanish steamer Pizarro, and being crowded 
with troops, was no doubt bound from Spain to 
Cuba. They hoisted their ugly red and yellow 



A SPANISH STEAMER. 289 

ensign, and, the soldiers laughing, hissing, and 
jeering, they steamed away. 

We fell in with numbers of whales in these 
latitudes, spouting and playing together. We 
continued to make but little way, being still 
within the enchanted zone of calms. Our 
watch is called, say at midnight, to keep the 
middle watch. " Go aft, M'Ewan — I went last 
time," I would say, with blinking eyes ; then 
he, with a man (the new helmsman) from the 
forecastle watch, going to the waist, "All aft, 
sir ! " " Eelieve the ' wheel ' and ' look-out,' " 
answers the mate, unable to detect the fraud 
practised upon him in the darkness. The 
" wheel * and " look - out " are relieved, the 
gentle breeze which sprang up half an hour 
before dies away, and, the sails flapping against 
the masts with the roll of the ship, I lie down 
on the quarter-deck, indifferent to everything 
upon earth but sleep. Suddenly I awake, and 
hear the second mate sing out a second, perhaps 
a third time, " Port main-brace ! " The rippling 
water along the side tells of a breeze. We 
square the yards, hoist the staysails, and all is 
again still: each one returning to finish his 



2$0 TWO YEARS ABAFT TBE MAST, 

snooze, with plentiful growling at being dis- 
turbed. In another quarter of an hour, " Star- 
board main-brace!" rings forth, with its con- 
sequent slackening and tautening of ropes; 
followed by " Haul up the clews of the main- 
sail ! " and when eight bells (4 a.m.) at last comes, 
we lay once more becalmed. Finally, towards 
the evening of a cloudy day, a steadily increas- 
ing breeze sprang up ; it was the N.E. trades, 
and right gladly we hailed them. We dashed 
along under fore and main royals, as if to make 
up for lost time. " The New York girls have got 
hold of the tow-rope ! " said the mate during 
the second dog-watch, as he ordered his watch 
to take a "swig" on the foretop-gallant hal- 
yards. 

We were soon after crossing the Gulf Stream, 
with its dark-blue water and floating fields of 
" gulf - weed/' yellowish brown. Some sailors 
pickle it in vinegar, and esteem it a relish, 
although pickled hemp might rival it in flavour. 
We had a narrow escape one afternoon of having 
our cutwater knocked away, at least. We passed 
within a few feet of an immense log of timber 
floating perpendicularly, with five or six. feel out 



THE GULF STREAM. 291 

.of the water, which, to judge by the thick coating 
of barnacles and sea -weed, must have been 
adrift in the ocean a considerable time. The 
Southern Cross had now given way to the 
Great Bear, which -rose higher and higher 
every night, in company with the other con- 
stellations of the northern hemisphere. In the 
winter time, as it was now, the temperature of 
the Gulf Stream is much higher than the water 
on its northern limit ; entering from the south, 
no difference of temperature was noticeable. 

The Gulf Stream is a vast oceanic current, 
taking its rise in the Gulf of Mexico. The 
peculiar formation and position of the gulf 
render it a receptacle for the currents of the 
Atlantic sweeping across the north-eastern 
coast of South America. The waters issue from 
the gulf in a northerly direction in a deep 
powerful current, round the Florida coast and 
inside the islands of Cuba and the Bahamas, 
being now considerably warmer than the sur- 
rounding ocean. The summer temperature of 
the waters in the gulf is about 87° or 88°, while 
in the same latitude in the Atlantic it averages 
only 78°. Continuing onwards, at a rate of five 



292 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

miles an hour, along the shore of North America, 
it assumes the proportions of a deep and mighty 
stream, increasing in size and might as it flows, 
until, approaching the banks of Newfoundland, 
it is turned to the eastward across the Atlantic, 
its stream measuring in breadth about 200 miles; 
but the warmed waters cover double that extent. 
After passing the Azores it gradually becomes 
lost in the wild seas of the Atlantic ; only a 
remnant shaping a northerly course towards 
the British Isles. 

The mate, who had been for several years a 
captain in the North American trade, which 
position he lost through his old enemy, drink, 
had warned us often against the kind of weather 
we should meet with on the North American 
coast ; but those who had not been that way, 
including myself, began chaffing him about his 
prophecies, asking where his cold weather and 
gales of wind were? not taking into account 
the Gulf Stream. A sudden change in the 
temperature told we had emerged from the 
stream into the cold waters of the North 
Atlantic. So cold did it become within the 
space of a day, that the thermometer fell from 



CHANGE OF TEMPERATURE. 293 

temperate to near freezing-point, and every- 
body got out their cloth trousers and pilot- 
jackets. This awful change from heat to cold 
upon men coming from tropical climates is 
more easily imagined than described. The 
only wonder is that Jack weathers it in the 
way he does. It is not the food — vile stuff- 
he has to thank for his superior physique, or 
that power of endurance which holds him proof 
against any change of climate ; it is the in- 
vigorating sea air that keeps Jack's soul and 
body together — a fact he is well aware of 

"If the Bermudas let you pass, you should 
beware of Hatteras,' , says the old sea ditty, 
which we soon found but too true a warning. 
Barring a stiff blow or two, only to be expected, 
we had arrived at last within soundings without 
really severe weather ; and on the Sunday night, 
2 2d February, our first watch on deck, the cap- 
tain gave orders to signal for a pilot : these here 
come out a great distance to sea, sometimes 
200 to 300 miles. Blue lights were brought 
from the powder-chest, which, by the by, stood 
unde? the cuddy table, distant about four feet 
from the open "buggy" (stove). While the 



294 TWO YEARS ABAFT TEE MAST. 

second mate burnt one on the forecastle-head, 
I ran up into the foretop to display one with 
more advantage; but notwithstanding the shelter 
afforded under the lee of the mast, I soon got 
so benumbed with the cold, that I had to come 
down. It was a fine frosty night : the heavens 
glistening with myriads of stars, each outvying 
the other in brightness ; while a steady breeze 
wafted us along at a moderate speed. Still the 
cold seemed to us intense, in spite of our warm 
clothing. Our signals were not seen, as no 
pilot came aboard till the following morning at 
ten o'clock. Any one more unlike a pilot it 
would be difficult to find than the individual 
who stepped on to our quarter-deck to take us, 
wind and weather permitting, into New York 
harbour. Of medium height, with a neatly- 
trimmed full beard, wide-awake hat, and fashion- 
able black coat and grey trousers : such was his 
person. He brought aboard a copy of the ' New 
York Herald* newspaper, and the intelligence 
that a hard frost prevailed ashore; indeed our 
decks were already getting slippery with ice. 

The wind had now chopped round ahead, veer- 
ing from N.W. to N.E., and there was every 



ANOTHER GALE. 295 

indication of a coming gale. In the afternoon 
it began piping, while seas broke over the 
weather bulwarks, covering the rail and rigging 
with ice. " Clew up the maintop-gallant sail ! " 
roared out the pilot. We had been standing 
under the break of the forecastle, with oilskins 
and sou' -westers on, all ready for the first order; 
and as some of the watch sprang up the main- 
rigging, others hastened to lower away at the 
mizzen-topsail halyards. "All hands on deck !" 
bawled out the captain : " Stow the foresail ; 
Reef the fore and main topsail ! " and presently 
I found myself, with the port watch, struggling 
up at the fore. A heavy snowstorm broke 
over us, and the freezing wind seemed to cut 
right through me, and nearly take my breath 
away; Eeaching the topsail yard, we proceeded 
to lay out; but my hands being entirely numbed, 
and therefore useless to hang on by to the jack- 
stay, I was obliged to chance my footing on 
the foot-ropes, and slide my body along the 
yard. I expected every moment to be off, for 
helpless as I was, the first heavy roll must in- 
evitably have settled me. " Haul out to loo'- 
ard!" and stretching the reef-band along the 



296 TWO YEARS ABATi TEE MAST. 

yard, we set to tying the points, at which I 
found my wrists more useful than my hands. 

The snow drifted along with the gale — rush- 
ing, whirling, whistling, blinding the sight, and 
covering the decks; and glad we were to get 
down. The dreaded " nor'-wester " was at last 
upon us in all its fury. The captain had had 
the consideration to allow us for breakfast dur- 
ing this w'eather some hot tinned meat, and hot 
coffee at noon — luxuries well appreciated by 
poor uncared-for Jack. When I went below 
with our watch to get what we called tea, tired 
out and cold, the water was washing across the 
deck in our tireless berth, which even looked 
more cheerless than the outside ; and to my 
dismay, I discovered that the pitiless cold had 
opened a seam by my bunk, which let in the 
water each time a sea struck that side of the 
house. I must confess I thought this hard. I 
had not had a wet bunk for many months, and 
I had not reckoned upon it now; for although I 
was covered with snow, and had nothing on that 
could properly be called dry, it was as nothing 
to the idea of not having a dry place to which 
I could look forward for a short spell of com- 



LAYING- TO. 297 

parative comfort. However, Reed, of course, 
sailor -fashion, made me turn into his hunk; 
consequently, he "being in the port watch and I 
in the starboard, I turned in when he turned 
out. 

Life-lines were stretched along the main- 
deck, and the captain made the "look-out" 
keep on the poop. At eight o'clock the ship 
was hove-to to weather out the gale for thb 
night ; and upon being brought to the wind 
her behaviour improved a little — not shipping 
so many seas in the waist, although her head 
was continually buried in the surf. In the 
morning the weather much improved, and by 
noon we had set the foresail, shaken the reefs 
out of the topsails (a difficult job, the points 
being frozen in with the snow as hard as wood), 
set the mainsail, mizzen-topsail, and maintop- 
gallant saiL Never were we more willing to 
set sail, notwithstanding it was still a head 
wind ; patches of blue sky appeared, while the 
wind and sea steadily went down. Clew-lines 
and bunt-lines were let go, sheets hauled homt> 
and the halyards swayed upon with a hearty 
" Yo, heave ho ! there she rises I * 



298 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

We were off Cape Barnegat, about one hun- 
dred miles from New York, and the land was 
visible from aloft when the weather cleared, 
when we discovered that the gale had blown us 
several miles out of our course. In the evening 
we tacked ship, and stood away from the land 
for safety, having to heave the lead every two 
hours during the night — a miserably cold job. 
" Heave the lead ! " sings out the captain from 
the poop ; and we emerge in a hurry from the 
snug little galley, where the captain had ordered 
the fire to be kept in all night for the last two 
nights, for the benefit of the watch on duty. 
Hastening along the cold frosty decks, we each 
take up our respective stations — on the fore- 
castle-head, in the waist, in the main-chains, 
and on the poop; whilst I light the "bull's 
eye," giving a light whenever wanted, " arm " 
the lead (affixing soap in the cavity at the 
bottom, to bring up specimens of sand or shell, 
as previously explained), and see that the coils 
of line in the tub are all clear for running, I 
being responsible for this. "Bring her head 
well to the wind ! " shouts the captain to the 
man at the wheel ; " Well 1 so ! keep her shak- 



HEAVING THE LEAD. 299 

ing!" "All ready for'ard ! " from the second 
mate. " All ready, sir ! " is the answer. Then 
" Heave ! " sallies forth from the officer. A 
short pause, during which the foremost man 
makes sure that the coils are all clear in his 
left hand ; and " Watch there, watch ! " is 
heard from the distant end of the ship in its 
peculiar sound, half plaintive, half sonorous. 
Another interval of silence, only broken by the 
shaking of the sails in the wind, and the occa- 
sional roll of a wave as it washes along the 
ship's side. " Watch there, watch ! " being 
heard again, and from a nearer voice, tells that 
the second man is letting go the coil in his 
hand. -"Watch there, watch!" nearer still, 
says as much for the man in the main-chains ; 
until, finally, the weight of the line falls to the 
second mate on the poop, who carefully raises 
and lowers his arm, making certain that the 
lead touches the bottom and no more. The 
"bull's eye" is brought, the mark on the line 
noted, and the line, being snatched in a block 
in the mizzen rigging, is hauled in, the freezing 
water running down one's aims in the most un- 
comfortable maimer. The lead is always hove 



300 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

from the weather side in consequence of the 
ship's drifting to leeward, which would foul 
the line under the keel. 

Wednesday came, but the wind did not 
change. It was a thorough American winter's 
day — the sun shining from a cloudless sky, not 
much wind, and a clear atmosphere, but bitterly 
cold whether in the sun 01 out Several vessels 
were seen moving in different directions, and 
in the evening a tug-boat came alongside to 
offer its services, which, after a brisk debate 
between its skipper, our pilot, and our captain, 
were accepted. The hawser was soon made 
fast ; and with the powerful aid of steam, we 
glided quietly through the smooth water at the 
rate of seven miles an hour. All hands were 
called to furl the sails, and before dark set in 
every stitch of canvas had been carefully rolled 
within itself, snug against all winds. The other 
watch then went below, while we installed our- 
selves in the galley, some standing, others sit- 
ting on the coal-locker and on buckets. 

It was a cosy moment- after the preceding 
hardships off Cape Barnegat. The stove fire 
burnt merrily, and its warmth engendered 



A SAILOR'S YAEK. 301 

sociability amongst us. Now we were all lis 
tening to Smith, the Jerseymaa, who spun a 
yarn about the times when he was aboard a 
blockade - runner during the American Civil 
War. How, one night, sorely pressed by a 
Confederate cruiser, they hove bales of cotton 
overboard to break the paddles of their enemy ; 
who, finding their propelling power damaged, 
sent them, in exchange, half-a-dozen shots. 
" And," continued the Jerseyman, " I witnessed 
an awful sight. The mate, who was standing 
close by me at the wheel, had his head so com- 
pletely severed from the body by a cannon- 
ball that a knife could not have done it neater. 
I had an unpleasant moment myself; for, taking 
his bleeding trunk up by the legs to heave 
overboard, another shot came just as I got it 
over the rail, cut clean through the ankles, 
and left me standing with only a foot in each 
nand, which I was glad to let go before another 
missile should come and carry them off together 
with my paws. But I had a still narrower 
escape than this -a literal shave : a bullet 
whizzed under my nose and shaved my mous- 
tache, ciean orl, not leaving a hair behind/' 



302 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

Nobody questioned the veracity of any of this, 
for the simple reason that nobody but himself 
had been chased by a Confederate — not con- 
siderate — cruiser. 

Then Yankee Jim (Pemberton) drew our at- 
tention next by narrating some of his whaling 
adventures, which he wound up by assuring us 
that one day the ship was lifted bodily out of 
the sea and thrown on her beam-ends by a whale 
rising under her keel, and that they would have 
inevitably been all lost had not the second mate 
driven a harpoon into the fish to windward, 
which they hauled upon, and thus righted the 
ship. " But," said " Chips/' " you don't mean 
to say you had the strength to right a large 
ship ? " " Why, yes," replied Pemberton, " when 
American sailors pull on a rope, they pull." 
"And," added "Chips," "when they stretch a 
yarn, they stretch." 

" Do any of you know a ship called the George 
Stuart, a Yankee clipper, sailing, out of New 
York?" asked Cavanagh, an Irishman, sitting on 
the coal-locker. Finding that nobody did, he 
continued: "she was the craft for work, and 
discipline, and 'cracking on.' Above her main- 



"CRACKING ON:' 303 

royal she carried a skysail, moonsail, cloud- 
cleaner, star-gazer, sky-scraper, and an angel's 
footstool. The latter sail was only set in dead 
calms, and then the watch on deck were not 
allowed to cough or sneeze, for fear of carrying 
it away. The skipper never permitted us to 
sleep during our night-watches on deck ; when 
we got becalmed he used to have a rope made 
fast to the tafferel and make the watch haul on 
it for'ard, as if to pull the ship along, while he 
whistled aft for a breeze. To show you how 
she could steer, I'll just tell you that one morn- 
ing out at sea, it being my helm, the mate 
came up to me — says he, ' Do you see that black 
spot ahead right on our course ? when we get 
nearer you will find it to be two rocks just 
sufficiently apart to allow this ship to pass be- 
tween.' 'What about that, sir?' I replied. 'Well, 
I will undertake to put her through/ rejoined 
the mate. I gave him the wheel. Bowling 
along nine knots an hour, I looked on aghast ; 
as we seemed bent on certain destruction. A 
dashing of surf, a cloud of spray, a stream of 
shavings fly up on either side of the vessel with 
a whining noise like that caused by a carpenter's 



304 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

plane,- and we were through. 'A tight fit/ ex- 
claimed the mate, as I looked over at the marks 
of the wood grazed away on both sides." "Wal," 
interrupted Yankee Jim, "I guess you've 'stuck 
it on' at last." "No," continued Cavanagh, 
amidst general laughter, "we never afterwards 
saw any trace of it floating about." 

It being my next " wheel," I wrapped* myself 
up in all the warm things I ha d, returned to the 
galley, had half a pannikin of hot coffee, and 
waiting for four bells to strike (the second mate 
always kept the time when my wheel followed), 
I hastened aft to give M'Ewan a smart relief. 
What a beautiful frosty night ! The main coast 
lay to our left, and Long Island to our right ; 
and from both sides, as we sped onwards, vivid 
rays shot across our path from beacons and 
lighthouses only visible at certain angles. There 
being no wind, I did not feel the cold so much 
as on previous occasions ; but nevertheless, 
when eight bells were struck, I watched with 
eager eyes for the relief. " Keep the ship's head 
in line with steamers' light" was the course I 
had been steering, and which I now passed on 



NEW YORK AT LAST 305 

to my successor, who repeated the words back 
to me in due form before I left him in charge. 
I hastened into the galley for a warm and my 
"whack" of coffee, already sweetened — and 
turned in, and was not long in dropping off 



S06 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST, 



CHAPTER XV. 



NEW YOKK. 



Suddenly becoming conscious that somebody 
was pulling my leg, I determined upon awak- 
ing, when Jack Anderson made us aware that 
all hands were on deck. We had arrived in 
the port of New York, and it was two o'clock 
in the morning. There were the usual noises 
on deck when arriving in port. The tug blow- 
ing off steam with such an infernal noise, and 
in such volumes as to make one wonder bow so 
diminutive a craft is capable of the production. 
Then casting off the hawser and hauling it 
inboard, and laying it along the deck, while 
various boats — "customs," and others — board us. 
A sharp rap, instantly smothered in a deafen- 
ing rattle, causing the ship to vibrate fore and 



FIRST VIEW OF TEE CITY. 30? 

aft, tells that the anchor has been let go. At 
half-past two we were told we might go below 
again. This was Thursday, 26th February, and 
110 days had elapsed since we sailed from Foo- 
chow. What a weight is felt to be taken off 
one's duty after the good ship has at last reach- 
ed her destination, and lying at anchor 1 No 
more royals to loose in the middle watch, no 
more topsails to reef, no more night " wheels " 
and "look-outs;" a new era begins with "all 
night in." 

We were roused out at eight o'clock, and I 
then had my first view of the capital of the 
United States of North America. Nothing very 
pretty or striking : on the contrary, an unvaried 
plainness offended the eye in all directions. 
Wharves, buildings in the city, neither showed 
Any pretensions to beauty. The proportions of 
the harbour, however, are magnificent — its nat- 
ural stateliness well atoning for the shortcom- 
ings of man's handiwork. The morning was 
cold, and the scenery looked cold ; snow every- 
where all round, and ice drifted by with the 
tide. 

We lay here till the next morning, Friday, 



308 TWO YEA11S ABAFT THE MAST. 

stopping the coils of ropes up in the rigging, 
and otherwise making ready for discharging 
cargo, when a tug hauled us along the East 
Kiver, to the wharf abutting on South Street. 
It makes a vast difference to a sailor whether 
his ship is moored alongside a wharf or in the 
stream : in the former case he can go ashore 
directly the day's work is done, and return 
when he Kkes, without asking anybody's per- 
mission ; but in the latter case he must hail a 
boat — if there happens to be one within hear- 
ing — pay the fare, and chance the possibility of 
finding a boat to bring him aboard again. In- 
deed, the inconvenience to which Jack is put is 
fully proved by the fact that when " lying in 
the stream " he seldom troubles about going 
ashore, no matter how tempting the amuse- 
ments there awaiting him may be. 

Turning out on deck in the cold but bright 
frosty morning, my first impression of the Empire 
City was a busy one. Steamers of all shapes 
and sizes noisily puffed their fussy way across 
the harbour ; and in strict accordance with the 
well-known rule, the smaller and more insigni- 
ficant they were, the more snorting and whist- 



SCENES IN THE HARBOUR. 808 

ling they made. Ships pass and repass in tow : 
now a stately English clipper glides by with 
staysails set, looking as beautiful and as sancy 
as a gentleman's yacht ; then follows in another 
direction one of those ungainly but comfortable 
old ships, familiarly known to nautical men as 
"tubs," bluff- bowed and square-sterned, built 
by the mile and cut off by the fathom; her fine- 
pointed mast-heads and " made " masts tell me 
she is a Yankee. Presently, in strong contrast 
to the meddlesome, hissing little tugs, a large 
Transatlantic steamer enters the scene, travel- 
ling through the water in majestic silence. An 
occasional brig or schooner with very white 
cotton sails lends a finishing touch to the pano- 
rama. Masts, yards, funnels, houses, and rig- 
ging all seem to form one along the shore. New 
York is built on Manhattan Island, about thir- 
teen miles long and two miles in breadth. The 
Hudson River separates the western shore from 
the mainland, on which, stands Jersey City. On 
the other side of the island is East Eiver, divid- 
ing it from Long Island, where Brooklyn 
stands. Large ferry-boats run day and night 
between Brooklyn and New York. Vehicles of 



310 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

all descriptions are carried across in the ferriea 
From the southern extremity at Battery Point, 
New York is pretty closely built for something 
like seven miles. 

The accommodation for shipping in New- 
York is of the worst description. There are no 
docks where ship and cargo are safe- — the one 
from collision, the other from robbery. Here 
all vessels lie at wharves, which, by the by, in 
the majority of cases, are the most ridiculous 
apologies for such, and in many instances are 
mere jetties from the street, without gate or 
barrier, and without covering of any kind to 
protect the discharged cargo from the inclem- 
ency of the weather. -Ships and steamers 
passed and repassed, some near, some far off; 
and among the most noticeable were the large 
ferry-boats plying between New York and 
Brooklyn, and the white - painted, top-heavy- 
looking steamers trading up-river and on the 
coast. The ferry-boats are remarkable for their 
size, shape, and the proportionate noise of their 
whistling, which even in the low scale of whist- 
ling is of a wretched quality, equally painful to 
the ears and the stomach. Besides elegantly- 



BROOKLYN FERRY-BOATS. 311 

fitted -up passenger -rooms, the centre consists 
of a roadway, which seems to form a continua- 
tion of the street when alongside the wharf. 
They are rather difficult to describe, considering 
there is nothing similar in England; but if a 
comparison must be drawn, I should say they 
bear a closer resemblance to a huge, white, 
floating railway-waggon with a funnel in the 
middle of the roof, than to anything else. 

Our first job after unbattening the hatches 
was to send royal -yards down — I luckily not 
being one of those to go aloft in the cutting 
wind. Directly a ship is moored in a large 
port like this, "runners," outfitters, and others 
lose no time in "turning up." First a boot- 
maker, then a tailor enters the house or the 
forecastle, and with the utmost courtesy pre- 
sents to such inmates as will take them, cards 
bearing his name and address and trade, with 
the usual assurance that he sells the best goods 
at the lowest figure. However, it is customary 
for the captain to name a tailor and bootmaker 
or a general outfitter to supply the crew, who, 
instead of paying for the article then, sign their 
name to the bill, the total being presented to 



312 TWO YEARS ABAFT TEE MAST, 

the captain for payment as soon as the " blue 
Peter" is seen flying at the fore (three days before 
sailing). Sailors cannot complain of captains 
carelessly paying debts they have not incurred, 
as the law requires when a bill is paid that the 
payment should be made in the presence of 
the man. Of course this , is not carried out to 
the letter through Jack's " devil-may-carism ; " 
his signature alone being deemed sufficient 
proof generally. This plan of furnishing goods 
is a reasonable one, as it induces the seaman to 
be less wasteful with his money. If, on the 
other hand, it did not exist, the hands would 
be continually applying to the captain for 
money to buy wearing apparel, which, being 
taken as necessary, could hardly be refused. 
Very little money would ever find its way to 
the outfitters ; for even if a man really intended 
to make proper use of it, the temptations on 
the way would be too great for many ever to 
reach the outfitters. But by the above system 
the captain knows he is not stinting the men 
in the proper employment of their money, 
while at the same time he is able to limit 
the sum he gives to each man for pleasure 



''RUNNERS" AND THEIR VILLAINIES. 313 

to a just amount. Some crews placed under 
less scrupulous but so-called jollier captains, 
have had the mortification to find when being 
discharged, on arriving home after a twelve- 
month's voyage, that they had nothing to 
receive— they had spent all their hard-earned 
wages out in " the country," and had nothing 
to show for them. 

Now the "runners" are quite a different 
class : they pass themselves off as the sailor's 
friend, and foolish Jack is oftentimes stupid 
enough to believe them. Their profession con- 
sists in boarding ships directly they come in, 
and if the crew are going to be paid off, in 
persuading as many of its number as possible 
to go to their respective "boarding-house." If 
they are not going to be paid off, the " runner " 
will do his utmost to induce the sailor to run 
away from his ship. Fresh from the ocean, 
with all its privations and hardships, Jact 
opens his ear to his supposed friend, but real 
enemy, who charms him with accounts of hap 
piness and comfort which he can offer him. 
A sailor is not like a mechanic ashore outdone 
with competition and anxious to keep his situa- 



314 TWO YEARS, ABAFT THE MAST. 

tion. The sailor knows that if he leaves hia 
present ship, he can, if he chooses, ship in 
another vessel the very next day; there are 
always plenty of ships wanting hands. This 
makes him "independent " and dissatisfied with 
his ship, in most cases, whatever she may be. 
Hence it is that the " runner " has such a hold 
over him, knowing his chronic state of discon- 
tent. Naturally there are many steady-going 
men who would not allow themselves to he led 
away in this manner, but they only form the 
exception to the rule. The " runner " boards 
and lodges seamen so long as their money 
lasts. When all is gone, he hastens to ship them 
off again, taking care to refund himself his 
disbursements handsomely out of the fellow's 
advance. Without the advance -note system 
he could not exist. As it is, the " runner " is 
only one of many evils emanating from it. 

Saturday night I went with Eeed to the 
Bowery Theatre in the thoroughfare of the 
same name, where " White Hair " was per- 
formed — a highly sensational piece. I am 
not aware of the condition of New York 
in summer, but in winter, after a downfall 



OUIi YANKEE FRIENDS. 315 

of snow, its streets are wellnigh impassable. 
New York is to London as tliat city is to Paris 
as regards cleanliness. We passed a street 
where the mud and slush were considerably- 
over half a foot deep from one side of the road 
to the other. 

That same night, or rather early in the 
following morning, I was awoke by somebody 
roughly shaking me. Three policemen and a 
grey-haired gentleman stood in the house, one 
of the former holding a lantern. A question 
or two was put to rue, but to what purpose and 
what answer I gave I was too sleepy to be con-, 
scions of. Going to the galley to get the break- 
fast coffee, the " doctor " accosted me with : 
" Have you heard about Pemberton ? " and on 
my reply in the negative, he added, " He's gone; 
his father and three policemen came during 
the night and took him away." . The news 
soon spread about the ship, the unanimous 
feeling being that of. " good riddance " rather 
than that of anger at the Yankee's impudent 
violation of the British flag ; for, in American 
waters though we were, yet he was aboard 
a British ship, and had signed articles in a 



316 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAS*. 

British port, and was therefore quite without 
the jurisdiction of the United States. Having 
no chest or stock of clothing, save a bundle of 
rags lying in his bunk on a dirty worn-out 
mattress and blanket, his desertion was in no 
way hindered by delay in packing. However, 
the mate was evidently " wild ; " for worthless 
as the runaway seaman had been, still the 
policemen had committed a serious offence in 
aiding a man to abscond from his ship without 
notice to the captain or to the agents, which 
considerably aggravated it. 

Sunday morning I went to Trinity Church, 
Broadway, the leading one of New York, its 
spire being one of the few seen from the water. 
In the churchyard stands a monument com- 
memorating some Yankee naval victory over 
the Britishers. In the afternoon M'Ewan 
and I went to Central Park, a prettily laid out 
place, but not remarkable for its collection of 
animals. Sir Walter Scott's monument is one 
of the most graceful ornaments, and has a con- 
spicuous site. 

On the Monday morning, while polishing the 
brass-work round the harness-casks, Pemberton 



PEMBERTON AGAIN. 317 

and Ms father stepped down on the quarter- 
deck ; the former inquiring for the captain in 
a very authoritative tone, saying with laughable 
simplicity that he wanted his pay and dis- 
charge, forgetting that his conduct might have 
fully warranted his being there and then put 
in irons. His father entreated him to remem- 
ber where he was, and not talk so loud to Mr 
Mason, who had that moment come out of his 
berth. They soon came to hot words, until, 
exasperated at something he said, the mate 
gave our ex-ordinary seaman such a shaking as 
made both father and son beat a hasty retreat 
directly the latter was free from the mate's 
grip. They scrambled up the gangway - steps 
to the topgallant rail, and hence on to the 
wharf ; their progress being much impeded by 
a huge carpet-bag which the father carried. 
Away they ran along the wharf, father, son, 
and carpet-bag, till out of sight, never again to 
show themselves. Pemberton, instead of his 
old ragged garments, had on a new fashionable 
suit, white shirt, and wide-awake hat, and had 
evidently severed all connection with the sea. 
Xn explanation of the night-raid of the police, 



318 TWO YEARS ABAFT TEE MAST. 

it was rumoured that Pemberton had written to 
his father complaining of ill-treatment aboard 
a " lime-juicer," who, satisfied that his son was 
the victim of gross cruelty, had asked for the 
assistance of the police, whose underhand con- 
duct is anything but creditable to American 
justice. 

For the greater part of two days a heavy 
snowstorm swept over the city, thanks to which 
we were called on deck at daylight to clear 
away the snow with shovels, brooms, and "squee- 
gees/' Our hundreds of tons of tea were being 
discharged as fast as circumstances would per- 
mit. Steam -cranes are the exception at the 
wharves ; therefore we had to content ourselves 
with the employment of " lumpers," in which 
respect New York ranks after Sydney. These 
lumpers discharge and stow cargoes, and are 
mostly seafaring men. The duty of us appren- 
tices was not tiring, although cold. We were 
all three stationed on the wharf to guard the 
valuable chests and boxes from thieves, who 
frequently show a lamentable display of in- 
genuity. I was told that upon one occasion 
they got a boat between the piles under the 



A SHANGHAI ACQUAINTANCE. 319 

wharf, cut a hole in the planks, and in that 
manner walked off, or rather pulled off, with 
several chests of tea without being detected. I 
was stationed near the water, Eeed amidships, 
and M'Ewan near the roadway, only being 
relieved for meals. 

One evening, not feeling disposed to go 
ashore, I lit my pipe, and having obtained the 
'New York Tribune,' was preparing to spend 
the evening in the forecastle, where the captain 
had been good enough to place a stove, when, 
to my surprise, who should come tumbling in 
at the door but my American friend, whose 
acquaintance I had made in Shanghai, and 
whose ship, the Sea Serpent, had arrived a 
week prior to us. Nothing would do but I 
must accompany him, to the theatre. He had 
only heard that morning that we were in port. 
He told me that the Hopewell was also in 
from Shanghai, and that he would fetch Eobert- 
son (apprentice) down, with him one evening. 
We went to " Tony Pastor's," in the Bowery, a 
sort of New York music-hall, the songs and 
general style being precisely the same as in 
London. Another night Bradford (my American 



320 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

friend), Robertson, and myself started off for the 
so-called Grand Opera House ; but the difficulty 
we experienced in getting there was, to say the 
least, amusing. Bradford, a native of Boston, 
easily persuaded us to let him act as pilot. 
Firstly, we found ourselves in a car travelling 
in the opposite direction, then alighting, we lost 
our way ; and when at last we found it again, 
together with the right car, we entered the 
wrong theatre, paid for our seats, and only dis- 
covered our mistake by a lot of black fellows 
coming on the stage — a nigger performance. 
Disgusted, but not discouraged, we left the 
place, sacrificed our money, and continued the 
search for the Grand Opera House, which we 
were told was two " blocks " further on. This 
time we did find the long-sought-for theatre ; 
but having paid for our places, were mortified 
to find that the piece we had come expressly to 
see was finished. 

I had arranged with Bradford to go the fol- 
lowing Sunday with him to a fashionable 
church, I forget the name; but I was prevented 
joining him by a most unpleasant accident. 
With my best clothes on, glittering with gilt 



A MISHAP. 321 

buttons, I considered myself a tolerable swell, 
and was in the act of crossing the road at the 
top of the wharf, when a false step, a slip and 
splash, and I fell full length on niy side in the 
gutter. I felt in a condensed state of confu- 
sion ; reluctantly regaining my footing (for I was 
quite ashamed to stand up again), I remained 
for a few seconds undecided what to do, the 
laughing-stock of passers-by, when I ran back 
to the ship with all possible speed. A rapid 
thaw had set in the previous day after the 
heavy fall of snow, and the road was deep in 
liquid mud. I was well contented to pass the 
remainder of the day aboard, while my clothes 
hung in the rigging drying. Having received 
no letters here, I obtained leave one day to go 
to the post-office ; but neither there, nor at the 
British Consulate, nor at our agents, did I find 
trace of any. 

Broadway, the finest street in New York, is 
about the width of Eegent Street ; but notwith- 
standing the houses are higher, they are mostly 
of plain brick. The street presents a peculiar 
combination of Oxford Street, Cheapside, and 
Whitechapel, with the dash of Eegent Street, 
x 



322 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

At the bottom of Broadway, and abutting on 
the water, stands Castle Garden, of emigration 
celebrity. Erected here is a large building 
of a circular shape for the accommodation of 
immigrants. 

I went with Bradford to see Gilbert's play of 
"Charity" at the Fifth Avenue theatre, the most 
fashionable house in New York. The place 
was densely crowded, and the acting good. 

It became known that we were chartered for 
London with a cargo of wheat and rosin ; and 
as the tea went out at one end of the ship, so 
our London freight came in at the other. The 
rapidity with which they load grain is surpris 
ing. A high wooden machine called an "ele- 
vator" is moored alongside, which pumps the 
grain up in some way, and sends it down a tube 
leading into the hold. At the mouth of this 
tube, and in the 'tween-decks, are stationed a 
gang of men. One attends the turning on and 
off of the shoot, others fill the bags, while some 
busily sew up the opening with remarkable 
dexterity; they then fall to the hands of the 
lumpers, who have their work cut out in pre- 
venting the filled bags accumulating. The 



TATTOOING AMONG SAILORS. 823 

reason that so many small vessels take their 
cargo in bulk is, that it does away with the 
cost of bags, and saves time in stowage. But 
the risk at sea is very great ; indeed, had our 
cargo been shipped in bulk, the good Sea 
Queen and her crew would never have seen Old 
England. 

There is a class of men who make it their 
business to visit ships coming from the East to 
buy " curios ; " they are particularly anxious for 
Japanese cabinets, Chinese pagodas, fancy boxes 
of tea, and little birds from Java or St Helena; 
and, as a rule, the prices they offer fully repay 
Jack, if selling is his purpose. 

We were visited one evening by a profes- 
sional tattooer, who showed us a book con- 
taining drawings of the different marks and 
designs most in favour with sailors. He under- 
took to prick in any one design for a dollar ; 
but nobody honoured him with an order, as 
sailors generally prefer having the operation 
performed by a shipmate at sea. Although the 
sailor's character is changing in more ways 
than one, he still tattooes as heavily as ever he 
did, and perhaps with increased art. There 



324 TWO YEARS ABAFT TEE MAST. 

are certain tattoo-marks universally met with 
at sea : such as the crucifixion, or the cross 
simply ; the anchor in a wreath with or with- 
out a crown ; the dancing ballet - girl ; the 
bracelet round the wrist and rings on the 
fingers ; and the ship under all plain sail. This 
last one is often tattooed right across the chest, 
which, being bare with a man-of-war's-man, 
sometimes falls under the gaze of the ordinary 
public in the streets. To tattoo, a couple of 
needles are secured with twine to a little stick, 
and by their means the skin and flesh are cut 
and lacerated, until the blood flows freely. 
With a small brush or a piece of wood the 
black or red colour is then laid on the wound, 
which is afterwards washed clean with cold 
water. It is a curious fact, that no matter how 
rapid one may be at washing the colour off the 
cut flesh after it is applied, no amount of 
sponging or bathing will ever get it out. The 
wound seems to absorb the colour instantly. 
Coloured seamen are as highly pictured as their 
white brethren, notwithstanding that the lines 
are somewhat faint on their dark skin. They 
indulge more in the sentimental 



A GRAIN CARGO. 325 

Our date for sailing was drawing near, and 
the cold, which had lately shown a tendency to 
give way to warmer weather, again returned 
with renewed vigour. Ton after ton of wheat 
went pouring into the bags, and deeper and 
deeper we sank in the water. New York ship- 
pers are notorious for the extent to which they 
overload grain-vessels bound across the Atlan- 
tic; and they seemed determined to make no 
exception of us. Charley Baker, and one or 
two other " old shells/' growled at the quantity 
being taken aboard ; and there was some talk 
in the forecastle about " some people " wishing 
themselves "out of her." When at last the 
final bag had been filled and stowed, and we 
received orders to batten down the hatches, I 
felt uneasy. I had never seen the ship so deep 
before by a long way, and the manner in which 
" Chips " secured the tarpaulins did not reassure 
me : such hammering, nailing, and tarring as 
would have induced many persons to believe 
we were going under the sea, and not over it 
A grain cargo is essentially a " dead " cargo. 
A grain-laden ship has no life ; she neither 
rises to meet the sea, nor gives under its 



326 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

crashing shock ; she cuts clean through every- 
thing. 

Cavanagh was granted his discharge, another 
able seaman being shipped in his place, while 
a new ordinary seaman filled the vacancy cre- 
ated by Pemberton. Two cabin berths were 
being "cleaned and fitted up for a couple of 
passengers — young Americans — who were 
eccentric enough to wish to try crossing the 
Atlantic in a clipper ship during the winter 
season. They paid dearly for their, temerity. 



FOB ENGLAND. $27 



CHAPTER XVI. 



HOMEWAKD BOUND. 



Friday, \Sth March. — At noon we cast off out 
moorings, and glided out into the stream in 
charge of a tug. The weather was disheartening : 
half a gale blowing, and hard frost. Somehow 
or other there seemed to be no spirit in us. 
Lashings were rove and spars secured in silence ; 
our two passengers were, nevertheless, highly 
interested in our movements, as they walked 
the poop with the captain. 

As we proceeded along the haroour, a cold 
spray would now and again fly across the deck : 
each one seemed to have a malicious pleasure 
in wetting us ; while a quarrelsome sea from 
time to time washing along our apology for a 
free-board, streamed over the covering-board, 



323 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

and froze on deck. Then we had the anchors 
to secure at the bows (we did not take them in- 
board). We soon got so cold, exposed to the full 
force of the wind on the forecastle-head, that 
all hands were called aft for grog. The fishing- 
smacks and other little craft coming in from 
the open were literally encased in ice, even to 
the helmsmen, who, in their ice-clad oilskins, 
appeared to be built up from the deck. 

We had just done dinner when the mate's 
voice was heard, " Loose the topsails ! " and a 
moment afterwards I was in the fore-rigging, 
climbing up to the yard. The tugboat then 
cast off and left us to take care of ourselves — 
having come to the mouth of the harbour. The 
cold made me very giddy, and after I had 
cast off the bunt-gasket it was only with the 
greatest difficulty that I succeeded in lying out 
on the yard to cast off the others. Overhaul- 
ing the bunt-lines, clew-iines, and reef-tackles, 
I scrambled and slid down on deck with my 
strength frozen out of me. " Hoist away, my 
lads!" sang out the mate; "Slide her up for 
London river !" " Yo heave, ho-o-o ! there she 
rises * " responded the foremost hand on the hal- 



AT SEA AGAIN. 



yards, keeping time "hand over fist/' "Belay 
there; clap on the sheets!" shouted the mate, 
With both sheets home, we returned to the 
halyards, tautened the leaches, and made fast. 
The same process with the main and mizzea 
The ship, sniffing the breeze, bounded and 
rolled in the foam, gladdened by her freedom 
from the tugboat - hawser. The wind was on 
the quarter, but strong • nevertheless the cap- 
tain, after discharging the pilot, gave her the 
foresail, mainsail, and maintop-gallant sail. We 
ploughed along, now diving, now leaping, but 
not as we should have done with another cargo, 
rising up one side of a wave and gliding down 
the other. From moment to moment a loud 
rumbling noise crept from forward aft, and with 
it a rush of water in between the bulwarks and 
covering-board, which froze like thawing snow 
in pouring across the deck. A noisy stagger 
and a sharp thud, accompanied by a savage 
shriek, continually told of some unlucky fellow 
with a too confident footing. Heugh! roared 
.out George, as a sudden lurch covered him half 
way up to the knees in water. "Look out, 
doctor!" sings out a man in the weather main- 



330 TWO YEA11S ABAFT THE MAST. 

rigging to the cook hurrying back to the galley 
from a fresh-water cask abaft the main hatch- 
way, from whence he is carrying a bucket filled. 
Too late. Bang, whish ! a sea strikes the ship's 
side, and leaping up, scatters itself on deck, and 
in the fresh-water bucket — a compliment ac- 
knowledged by the " doctor " with a groan. 

During the afternoon we secured with stout 
lashings the quarter-boat to the davits, and 
afterwards made an attempt at sweeping the 
quarter-deck. That finished the day's work — 
the first out from New York. We seemed with- 
out mistake a half dead and alive "crowd." 
We never put to sea before with gloomier faces. 
And bound to London — a port where we had 
all been longing to be for many months back. 
How we had all talked in Foo-chow about what 
we should do in London, when there was a pos- 
sibility of our being freighted for there — what 
plans ! — nobody, of course, was coming back to 
sea any more, excepting Scottie and George. 
" No more of your voyages to the southward," 
said the former ; " give me the Mediterranean — 
home every two months." George reckoned on 
getting employment in a fishing-smack sailing 



A COMFORTLESS VOYAGE. 331 

out of Whitstable, on the Kentish coast, belong- 
ing to a relation. " This is my last voyage " 
might then have been heard upon all sides. 
Now that no more doubt attached to the mat- 
ter — now that the Sea Queen was in reality 
bound across the Atlantic home, all hands were 
alike attacked with the "blues." I know no 
one was any the less anxious to get to England 
because we were drawing so near. The plain 
fact was, a hard time of it was anticipated be- 
fore we reached there. Bad time of the year, 
a ship deeply overladen with a dead cargo ; 
and, as we subsequently found to our cost, 
badly stowed. Going below to tea, the house 
looked misery itself ; water streamed from one 
side to the other, rippling and murmuring be- 
tween the battens of our chests like a young 
river. A quiver, a violent thud, and a sea rolls 
forward along the deck. We instantly slam the 
lee door ; but the sea defiantly rushes in 
through the cracks of the door and the lee 
scupper-hole. Once in, it takes a long while 
running out, no longer impelled by the same 
pressure, and liable at any time to have its 
volume increased by another. We therefore 



332 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST, 

decided to keep the lee door open and take our 
chance, according full liberty to our aqueous 
enemy of admittance and exit. But another 
intruder, only less unwelcome than the first, 
profited by the arrangement to make its invisi- 
ble presence felt — the wind. Swooping down 
the lee side of the foresail, it came whistling 
in at the door, threatening to extinguish the 
lamp. The elements were testing the maxi- 
mum limit of our physical endurance. If we 
succeeded in carrying our meals from the galley 
without having them w T ashed away, the cold 
was almost too great to allow us to eat them. 
Wretched as we were, we more than once 
laughed at the noise each other's teeth made in 
clattering against pannikin and spoon. The 
situation, shivering on our chests, with the icy 
water playing over our no less icy feet, while 
endeavouring to eat a meal of which a London 
pauper would have said with justice, " Thank 
you for nothing/' would have been indescrib- 
ably ridiculous were it not so inexpressibly real 
in its severity. 

The following morning, our watch on deck, 
Reed and I were ordered at daylight to clear 



THE ATLANTIC IN WINTER. 333 

the ice and snow off the poop (M'Ewan had 
been shifted into the mate's watch and Reed 
into ours). The two passengers were there 
taking their — shall I say in such weather con- 
stitutional ? They had not their sea-legs on yet, 
and their floundering and staggering somewhat 
enlivened our work What a dreary spectacle 
the bleak Atlantic did look, to be sure, in the 
cold grey morning ! A true -wilderness of waves, 
sullenly rolling in lead-coloured masses fringed 
with white, streaked with foam, and battering 
past the ship with a grim indifference. Stand- 
ing on the poop, the bow seemed to fly high in 
the air, then slewing aside, would dive down as 
if going to the bottom stem on. Another heave, 
a moment's indecision in the air, a fearfully 
rapid plunge and crash ! the jib-boom and fore- 
castle-head are lost to sight in the seething 
waters, white with rage, which pour boiling and 
writhing over along the main-deck, lifting the 
coils of ropes off the pins and strewing their 
full length aft, forming of them a heap of knots 
and kinks for us to clear, and get a soaking 
into the bargain. Naturally, no work was 
carried on during the day other than what was 



134 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

urgent — a splice in a sheet, or putting a new 
strand in some rope ; and this had to be done 
either in the rigging or on the poop. 

Day after day passed by, and we had thus 
far been very fortunate. The wind held fair, 
although shifting occasionally a few points, and 
kept at about the same pressure — that of a strong 
top-gallant breeze. My bunk and bedding, too, 
which I had managed to dry in New York, 
were still in the same satisfactory condition. 
Several of the poor fellows in the forecastle, 
less lucky, were driven out of their bunks by 
the water that trickled down in streams, 

" From pawl-bitts and cat- tails, and likewise half-caulked 

seams : 
It wets one's bedding through and through ; but then what 

matters that ? 
For leaky ships don't come within the medium of the Act." 

— Merchant S. Act Song. 

I began to notice that three fingers and my 
nose were three parts frost-bitten, by the peculiar 
itching and loss of feeling which I experienced 
in those parts. Phillips had his left-hand 
fingers badly frost-bitten, which grew so much 
worse that he remained below unfit for work 
the whole of the passage. As for me, I con- 



NIGHT COMFORTS. 335 

tinually rubbed nose and fingers in snow, and 
so prevented them getting worse. The captain 
ordered the galley-fire to be kept in ail night, 
and hot coffee at midnight for all hands. Only 
a sailor can realise the full cheer and comfort 
that this bestows on him. Going below, say 
for the first watch at 8 P.M., we would empty the 
water out of our sea-boots, take off our stockings, 
wring them, and hand them to one of the fellows 
on deck to hang in the galley to dry. Then, 
divesting ourselves of the remainder of our wet 
clothing, we turn in on the bare mattress and 
under all the blankets (too cold to spare one to 
lie on), quite indifferent to the noise of the water, 
as, with innocent playfulness, it chases itself in 
at the door, over spare boots, under the chests, 
round the house, and out again — sometimes 
smuggling a boot away, sometimes not, but 
gurgling all the while as if laughing at its own 
artfulness. Reed and I doze off asleep for three 
and a half hours. 

Midnight comes, and with it " Sleepers ahoy, 
there ! Come — eight bells — turn out ! " Feel- 
ing immeasurably worse than before we went 
off asleep, we reluctantly put on our cold wet 



336 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

clothing again, knock at the galley bulkhead 
and sing out for our stockings, and then hasten 
into the galley, chancing the seas, for our 
" whack " of coffee, and to enjoy the warmth 
of the stove. A snug little place that galley, 
under the circumstances. True, there was 
no pretension to dryness; the brick flooring 
rivalled the house and the forecastle for wet- 
ness, but the fire compensated for that and all 
other evils. If I had no " wheel " or " look- 
out " during the watch, I took the second mate 
his half-pannikin of coffee, and remained in the 
galley till about time to strike two bells, which 
having done, I returned, and "chocking" a 
bucket in a corner, kept the others company 
in sleep till eight bells (4 A.M.). This was the 
bright side of a night - watch on the wintrj 
Atlantic. 

Another night saw us turning out of our 
bunks to relieve the watch, and without time 
for coffee, picking our way aft in the darkness 
to the cross-jack braces. No sooner there, but 
a sea comes tumbling over the quarter-deck, 
making us spring for very safety up the rigging, 
and half drowning those who were not quick 



A HARD GALE. 837 

enough. The impetuous waters, glittering in 
phosphorescence, sweep under us, and we 
descend and resume our hauling before the 
threatening waves repeat their attack. Hard 
times, indeed — but harder times were in store. 
Hope buoys up the sailor like other men, but 
to a higher degree ; he is ever thinking the 
worst is reached, and so he works and toils, 
exposed to danger and hardship, hoping on, 
and never despairing. 

March 20th, a strong westerly gale arose. 
We stowed the maintop-gallant sail, mainsail, 
and mizzen upper topsail, in a piping hail- 
storm. The frightened ship, staggering under 
the blast, forged into the sea, bows under, in a 
manner terrible to witness from aloft. The 
whole fore part of the ship would sink into the 
foam ; and many thought of their chests — their 
sole worldly possession, enclosing, besides good 
clothing, all they valued the most, all that was 
dear. Jack has more of sterling good in his 
chest than lands-people credit him with — relics 
of past voyages ; bygone years' little gifts from 
home, perhaps given when a boy, and to which 
he clings fondly, though he may not have seen 

Y 



838 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

that home for many long years. Then his Poll 
is brought to his mind by more than one little 
article appealing to his more tender feelings, 
always occupying the same place in the till of 
his chest. Should he happen to be a married 
man, his affection for his chest is naturally 
multiplied. 

This was our first meeting with the dreaded 
North Atlantic weather, and with it went our 
last comfort — dryness. Nothing but wet cloth - 
ing and wet bedding to look forward to for the 
rest of the passage. Still rougher weather 
awaited us — such weather as I had never yet 
experienced at sea. The next day a dense fog, 
with a high sea, surrounded us, and we were 
obliged in consequence to shorten canvas, keep- 
ing a sharp look-out, with fog-horn constantly 
going. Tremendous seas broke over us day 
and night, threatening the life of any one who 
chanced to be on the main- deck, and striking 
the weather side of our abode with dangerous 
force. But far more serious was the leak which 
had lately sprung by the stern-post, and which 
all the efforts' of "Chips" had failed to stop. 
Simultaneously a marked list a -port showed 



INCREASING MISERIES. 339 

that the cargo had shifted. The dreaded 
pumping was our only chance. At the end of 
each watch, fresh hands relieved the others. 
With each a rope round his waist, and secured 
to the weather bulwarks, we stood working at 
the pumps, ready at the first sight of a towering 
wave to spring on the fife-rail, and cling to the 
topsail or top-gallant sheets. 

But at night, when the seas came screened in 
the darkness, we suffered the most. Furious 
seas, dashing down upon and completely bury- 
ing us, left us breathless at the mercy of the next. 
It was terrible work. To add to our misfor- 
tunes, the water in the hold causing the grain 
to swell, burst some bags, which disabled the 
pumps, and nearly choked them. This entailed 
double work to keep the leak under. A sea 
tumbling in at the door one night, splashed 
into my bunk, and made it henceforth useless. 
Reed's bunk, although on the lee side, being a 
top one, escaped with but little damage. I 
turned into M'Ewan's when he turned out. 
His was the driest in the house, only suffering 
from a leak round the port, which I diminished 
by nailing canvas outside. 



34C TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

Saturday, 21st March, we had a bad night, 
the gale still blowing hard, with hail and snow. 
All hands were called to reef topsails at mid- 
night. The seas were more violent than ever, 
making a clean breach of the main-deck ; had it 
not been a question of duty, no one would have 
dared to venture along it. Our safest place 
was up aloft ; there, at any rate, no sea could 
carry us away, though the wind, with misplaced 
energy, strove hard to do as much. Nowhere 
else had I seen such seas ; even those off the 
Cape of Good Hope in the winter time fell into 
insignificance when compared to them. 

Just before we reefed the topsails, I helped 
the second mate to sound the pumps. This 
is done by lowering down the "weir' a line, 
attached to the end of which is an iron rod, 
chalked over, and marked in feet and inches. 
As high as the chalk is wetted there is depth of 
water in the hold. To our mutual dismay, 
upon hauling up the rod, instead of a few inches 
we found five feet. By the light of the " bull's 
eye" we stared at one another; a few hours 
more, and we should be on our way to the 
bottom — -ship and crew. A second try brought 



SOUNDING THE WELL. 341 

the same result, and a third. But a fourth 
only shewed the chalk wet up to fifteen inches, 
which was confirmed by a fifth. This reassured 
us; but we could not account for the great 
difference between the first and the last 
attempt— the rod being carefully re-chalked 
each time— unless it were that the sides of the 
shaft wetted it. Soundings were taken as 
usual every two hours, and the pumps were 
Jcept going whenever the seas would permit it. 

Sunday morning the wind abated to a certain 
extent, which allowed us to set the foresail 
It still blew from aft, we consequently running 
before it under square yards. In the afternoon 
we passed a French bark hove-to and labour- 
ing heavily. It was what any one else but a 
sailor would have called a grand sight. Now 
we were in full sight of each other, plunging 
and heaving on the crest of a huge wave ; then 
both would sink out of sight deep in a watery 
valley. The great Atlantic rollers were doubt- 
less grand, their colossal proportions being re- 
vealed by the presence of the tiny bark. 

The evening closed in fine— the only really 
fine night that we had seen yet. We had set 



342 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

everything up to a niizzen-top-gallant sail. The 
clouds were no more to be seen, and the dark- 
blue heavens showed a myriad of twinkling 
stars, which lit up our barely -filled sails, while 
the angry sea, which had much gone down, 
lazily rolled over and over as if completely ex- 
hausted, and henceforth bent on peace. Grog 
was served out at eight o'clock : and as the ship 
lurched in the " fine-weather rolls," her masts 
creaking as in the quiet tropics, nobody looked 
back to the past ; all thoughts were for a bright 
ending to our hitherto stormy passage. 

It was our first watch, and consequently our 
morning watch below. We were called on 
deck at 8 a.m. by "All hands furl sails!" 
When we were called at 7.20 a.m. for our 
breakfasts, we noticed a sad change in the 
treacherous weather. More clouds, more heavy 
sea, more wind ; the previous tranquil night 
seemed like a fairy dream. This was Monday, 
23d March. It appears that shortly after the 
port watch had relieved us, the mate ordered 
in the top-gallant sails. The hands thought he 
had taken leave of his senses for a spell, as 
there was very little wind and a clear sky, 



RENEWAL OF TEE GALE. 343 

but they did not notice that little black gather- 
ing on our lee quarter. We furled the upper 
main-topsail, mainsail, and foresail, with more 
than the habitual amount of growling. Not- 
withstanding it was piping fresh, we could not 
see the use cf taking off all this sail, especially 
the foresail. " Heave her to, cap'n ! " " She's 
going too fast ! " " She'll chafe her copper 
away!" "Make a two -months' passage of it, 
cap'n ! " were some of the various exclama- 
tions muttered ironically by the men. Being 
on our starboard quarter, the wind was fair; 
and although we were only under upper and 
lower fore - topsails and lower main - topsail, 
we forged through the • water, dashing into the 
foam boom under, and shivering with the shock 
from stem to stern. The sea rapidly rose, and 
the dark indigo and brown clouds overhead 
flew scudding like ourselves before the gale. 
I had a "wheel" from 10 to 12 A.M., but an 
A.B. was ordered to take the weather side. 
The perspiration ran down our faces in our 
endeavours to keep her before the wind; for 
such was the new steering order, the captain 
preferring to run three points off his course 



344 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

rather than chance the possibility of shipping 
one of the enormous waves which were running 
a life-and-death race with us. 

In scudding before a gale two things are 
essential: Firstly, that the ship's pace should 
at least equal that of the waves ; secondly, 
that her head should be kept straight before 
the wind. Now, if the ship's speed should be 
slower than the waves, the latter would break 
over her stern, cause the vessel to " broach-to," 
and place her in imminent peril of foundering. 
Hence it is that although a gale may spring 
up from a fair quarter, captains invariably 
prefer "heaving to" rather than running the 
risk of "scudding," and then being unable, 
from the heavy sea, to bring her head to wind. 
It is perhaps unnecessary to say anything 
about the extreme difficulty of steering a ship 
under those circumstances, as it is but too ob- 
vious. With the pressure all aft, the waves 
dashing against the rudder and quarters, and 
slewing the former from side to side as a child 
does a shuttlecock, the wheel not unfrequently 
becomes uncontrollable, throwing and maiming 
the men as it flies round with fearful velocity. 



PREPARING FOm*A HURRICANE. 34c 

The gale increasing in fury, we shortened 
sail to main lower topsail and fore-topmast- 
staysail in tne afternoon. The roar of the 
wind as it tore through the rigging would have 
silenced heavy artillery. Such howling, whin- 
ing, groaning, and roaring I had never heard 
before. We began to see that things were 
getting serious, and that the mate had been 
right in his forecasting. A hurricane was com- 
ing on. Mountainous seas rolled along over 
the bulwarks as if licking their prey. The 
spars on deck, and particularly a huge spare 
lower mast, lashed on the port side, got loosened 
from their lashings, and gave us infinite trouble 
to secure again. Taken aboard for our safety, 
they now became a source of danger. No man 
was safe for a moment on the main-deck where 
we stood, yet those spars must be secured; 
there was no alternative. The second mate, 
procured new lashings. We watch our oppor- 
tunity, and succeed in partly reeving them 
through the ring-bolts. Broroum ! an immense 
sea tumbles over. We let go everything, and 
each one struggles in the foam on his own 
account — now above the spare lower mast 



346 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

now under it, the unwieldy log doing its ut- 
most to crush us. We scramble into the 
rigging and wait panting for another chance. 
Again and again we are submerged and thrown 
off our legs, which are only saved from being 
crushed by the spar's buoyancy. The men, 
exhausted, refuse to try any more. In vain 
the second mate (who acted with much spirit 
all through) jumped on deck again, bare- 
footed, and gesticulated in anger to the men : 
his voice was lost in the storm, and they cared 
not for his threatening fist. I stood on the 
bitts, clingmg to the shear -pole in the fore- 
rigging, waiting for the men to make a start, 
which they did when they saw the officer 
working alone. This time we succeeded in 
reeving the lashings through the ring-bolts by 
the main-hatch and the side of the house, and 
waiting for a sea to float the spar up to us, we 
immediately took a turn round it, and there 
lashed it. 

At six o'clock the captain resolved to heav* 
the ship to, as we no longer could keep ahead 
of the sea. Of course all hands were on deck, 
or rather in the rigging, and as we trimmrd the 



TEE SHIP HOVE- TO. 347 

yards up, and the ship's head was brought to 
the wind, we shipped the most fearful seas. 
Tons upon tons rolled on the main-deck and 
over the hatchways, which were only saved 
from being stove in there and then by the 
labour " Chips'' had bestowed on them in New 
York. We hove to under main lower topsail 
and fore-topmast-staysail. It was now piping 
a hard gale, with a deafening roar ; nothing but 
a black and grey mass overhead and all round 
us. The sea ran nearly forty feet high, and 
continually swept over the ship. I went below 
at about 7 p.m. to get something to eat. The 
Bhip rolled so much, and the water was so deep 
- in the house, that I found the act of eating a 
difficult operation. My chest literally floated 
under me. To feel hungry under such cir- 
cumstances, and on such conditions, seemed to 
me, to say the least, somewhat out of place. 
After swallowing a few mouthfuls of biscuit 
and pork, I sat down on my chest listening to 
the howling of the storm outside, and the beat- 
ing of the seas against the house. I had my 
oilskins and sou'-wester on to be ready at a 
moment's call. Eeed was not with me; my 



348 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

only companion was the smoky lamp, which, 
suspended by its perpendicular chain, seemed 
bent upon touching the roof. After a time, 
somebody struck eight bells, which I just man- 
aged to hear. It was my " look-out " from 8 to 
10 P.M., and having noticed what terrific seas 
swept over the forecastle-head, I jumped on a 
large empty iron tank placed between the fore 
end of the house and abaft the foremast, where, 
grasping the mainstay, I installed myself as I 
thought for the next two hours. I relieved 
nobody, neither had I seen a soul since seven 
o'clock, and I began to wonder where all the 
hands could be. 

It was now blowing a perfect hurricane. 
Never had I witnessed the like before, and 
never could I have supposed it possible on 
earth; as for the roar of wind and sea, it 
was simply hellish. There was something 
demoniacal about it which I cannot express 
in words. The elements seemed worked by 
evil spirits whose sole aim was our destruction, 
As I stood there alone and observed the boil- 
ing foam sweeping over the forecastle - head, 
and at intervals, amidst the fiendish howl of 



A NARROW ESCAPE. 349 

the storm, heard the booming thud of the 
seas as they fell, ponderous in weight, on the 
quarter-deck and in the waist, the big ship's 
bell close by, with the rolling of the poor 
ship, tolled in mournful cadence. Suddenly 
one of the mighty grey and black phan- 
toms, which had been hovering by the ship 
where I stood, towered up like a wild animal 
taking its spring. Lit up with phosphor- 
escence I saw it coming, and I instinctively 
clutched the mainstay with all my strength. 
A fearful crash, a shiver of the stay, and the 
tank flies from under my feet, leaving me sus- 
pended to the mainstay up to the waist in the 
seething water. I began to think it no joke. 
I had had a narrow escape, and I determined 
so soon as the water receded to beat a hasty 
retreat aft, let the captain say what he might. 
I let go my hold, landed on deck, ran along 
by the weather bulwarks, hanging on to the 
fore-braces and main-rigging, and, judging my 
chance to run across to the poop-ladder, I lei 
go. The vessel gave a lurch, I lost my footing, 
and went sliding into the water to leeward! 
At the same time a heavy sea pouring ove? fe 



350 TWO YEARS ABAFT TEE MAST. 

windward swept me across the quarter-deck 
and back again, following the roll of the ship. 
It was like a 'whirlpool ; floating objects 
touched me, and I passed once very near the 
handspike-rack, but I could clutch at noth- 
ing. Presently a rapid flow of the water met 
a furious wave, and I went overboard. I 
knew it would be useless to cry out ; and in- 
deed I was too choked with the water to at- 
tempt it. I felt myself carried up and then 
launched head-foremost — somewhere. I seized 
the poop-ladder rail, which was before me, and 
sang out. The chance of escape renewed my 
forces, and if ever I exerted my vocal powers 
it was then. I experienced a firm grasp round 
my arm. The second mate and Smith had 
heard me. With their help I succeeded in 
reaching the poop generally uncomfortable and 
frightened in no small degree. Here were all 
the hands. Under the lee of the weather-cloth 
in the mizzen - rigging were grouped captain, 
chief mate, and men, lashed or firmly hold- 
ing on to the shrouds. The captain gave 
me a vacant look as I took up a place be- 
side him, and the mate said something to the 



THE HURRICANE AT ITS HEIGHT. 261 

effect that I ought never to have remained 
for'ard. 

Though the hurricane was not yet at its 
height, it was something terrible— one continu- 
ous report of heavy artillery, mingled with whin- 
ing, groaning, and shrieking. Immense seas 
swept over the main-deck, making themselves 
heard above the storm, and dashing up to the 
maintop. Beyond, all was darkness and foam. 
Mountains of water surrounded us, their tops 
being blown off into smoky spray, just as a flame 
is before a blowpipe. Owing to our list to port, 
and that side being also the lee side, we were 
nearly on our beam-ends; in fact, the lee side 
of the poop was at times under water. A big 
sea to leeward dashed the quarter-boat on the 
davits into splint-wood, yet leaving some pieces 
held by chains and gear sufficiently large to 
damage the ship's side by their beating. The 
captain ordered them to be cut away. Jack 
Anderson let himself down by a rope into the 
raging surf, and braving all danger, cleared 
away the wreckage. 

The hurricane increased in violence. Ko 
imagination could portray the scene. The ship 



362 TWO YEARS ABAFT TEE MAST. 

still laboured under the main lower topsail and 
fore-topinast-staysail. It was more than she 
could bear. The main-deck was under water ; 
mountainous waves dashing over and over from 
side to side, as if no ship existed there at all. 
The ship was actually being forced down by 
the extraordinary pressure of the wind. Evi- 
dently she could bear up no longer — the sails 
must be taken off. But how? Both were 
brand-new and very strong, and seemed to 
defy the gale. A dim explosion struck our 
ears. We knew what had happened — the fore- 
topmast-staysail had blown to rags. The ship 
show'ed relief; but our eyes were directed on 
the topsail, earnestly wishing for it the same 
fate. The mate shouted into the captain's ear 
that the topsail must be taken off, or the 
vessel would founder. There remained no time 
to deliberate. Immediate action behoved us — 
our lives depended on it. The only means 
of taking off the sail was by letting go the 
weather- sheet, and this could only be carried 
out by a man getting to the mast where the 
sheet was belayed, which was iron, and there- 
fore could not be cut. No one was willing to 



UNDER "BARE POLES." 353 

undertake the job. At last Jack Anderson, 
the Swede, as good a seaman as ever trod a 
ship's deek, volunteered. Clutching his knife 
between his teeth, he sprang over the rail and 
along the boats, when a huge sea broke over 
him. In a few minutes a fearful report told of 
Jack's success — he had let rip the sheet, and 
the ship worked easier. Unfortunately, the 
sudden breaking of the strain carried away the 
weather main-lift, leaving the mainyard at the 
mercy of each roll. We saw the white topsail, 
in the chaos of darkness, fly into smithereens, 
and vanish like a phantom. 

Our last sail had gone ; we were a helpless 
log at the mercy of the storm. The mate, who 
was standing close behind me, got really scared, 
and swore the ship would not live out the night. 
George and Smith were anxiously watching the 
spare lower-mast, which had again got adrift, 
and was driving at the lee bulwarks like a 
battering-ram. Jack Anderson, who by some 
means had managed to travel forward, reported 
that the fore -hatch tarpaulins were washed 
away, and that the sea was tumbling down the 
hold. " Chips," George, and another man went 



354 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

to replace, at their imminent peril, new tar- 
paulins. They were all three knocked down 
to leeward, and George, getting his leg jammed, 
beneath the spare lower-mast, was carried away 
senseless ; but they succeeded in covering the 
hatchway. 

The tempest roared, the insatiable ocean 
rolled over us in savage joy, and with our 
only available boat gone, we stood in mute 
despair waiting for the worst. Suddenly I 
felt a tap, or more properly, a shove on the 
shoulder. Could I believe myself? Was I 
labouring under some horrible nightmare ? 
The mate was drunk ! He had drowned his 
fear in whisky. His idiotic grin, like that of 
a maniac, seemed so sickening and repulsive 
under the circumstances, that I do not think 
the sudden appearance of Old Nick and all the 
fiendish staff of Hades would have horrified 
me more. I understood him to say that the 
captain's orders were that anybody feeling cold 
might go down to the cuddy and take a "swig." 
I felt cold standing in my dripping clothes and 
went below. The water was up to my knees in 
the cuddy, and the two wretched passengers, 



EFFECTS OF THE STORM. 355 

whom the captain refused to allow on deck, 
lay in their bunks, cabin - doors open, half 
crazy with fright. 

At 3 A.M. a lull occurred ; shortly after a star 
was seen directly overhead. The worst had 
come and gone. But what a sight at daybreak t 
We appeared to have been in some terrible 
battle, through a storm of shot and shell. 
Most of the lee bulwarks and part of the 
weather were washed away. The break of the 
forecastle and the break of the poop were stove 
in by the spars, and the paint-locker cleared of 
all its tins and pots, which, dashing along the 
deck and inside the forecastle, had besmeared 
everything all imaginable colours. The rigging 
was all adrift. Irish pennants ruled the day, 
and ropes were towing overboard all round. 
The lee bunks in the forecastle had been com- 
pletely washed away, together with most of 
the bedding, and several chests were dashed 
to pieces. The sea had attacked our abode 
with less fury, still it presented a desolate 
aspect. My poor chest floated bottom up ; 
how lucky I thought of locking it ! My bed- 
ding was soaked through and through. The 



355 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE HAST. 

locker had been cleaned of its contents, which 
were strewed about everywhere, now and 
again laid bare by the water. Oil - bottle, 
vinegar ditto, and various other bottles of 
more or less use, were represented by a mere 
quantity of broken glass ; whilst tin plates,, 
pannikins, and iron spoons had long since 
bolted into the Atlantic in search of our hair 
and tooth brushes, pipes, and all our other 
nicknacks, besides clothing not locked in our 
chests. 

It still blew a gale of wind, and the ship 
sank every hour deeper in the water. The leak 
had increased during the night, and no one 
dared go near the pumps. To add to our mis- 
fortunes, we were three hands short: Phillips 
with his frost - bitten hand growing worse ; 
George unable to stand ; and the A.B. shipped 
in New York laid up with illness. There was 
but one alternative from foundering in mid- 
ocean, and at noon the word was passed along, 
"All hands heave cargo overboard!" We 
hurried down the companion-ladder to carry 
out the order; but there was no confusion. 
Some cleared away the remnants' of settees, and 



HEAVING CARGO OVERBOARD. 857 

chairs, and boxes, while others unbattened the 
cabin hatchway. I stood by keeping tally of 
the bags of wheat as they passed up from the 
hold in rapid succession to the poop, where, 
reaching the hands of two men lashed to the 
tafferel, they were flung overboard. Barring 
the furious rolling of the vessel, everything 
looked as matter-of-fact as if discharging cargo 
alongside a London dock's jetty. The usual 
angry tones were heard, now from the owner of 
a pinched finger, now from those below cursing 
the stupidity of those above who had hoisted 
up a bag against the coamings of the hatch. 
Several of the miserably-stitched bags burst 
in transit, scattering the grain far and near. 
Twenty - five tons went overboard that day, 
twelve tons the next, and about fifteen tons of 
rosin from the fore-hatch — in all, over fifty 
tons of cargo. Not very pleasing either for the 
shippers or the consignees, but we had saved 
the Sea Queen. The crew commissioned me to 
write out a protest, seconding the captain in 
the action he had taken, which was handed 
him. 

At the end of three days and nights the gale 



358 TWO FEARS ABAFT THE. MAST. 

moderated into heavy occasional squalls. How 
we lived, how we ate, and how we slept during 
that time, may be more easily imagined than 
described. M'Ewan and I occupied his bunk- 
turn about, and Eeed turned in somewhere in. 
the forecastle. It was a cause for wonder that 
the house had not been washed away. More 
than once I sprang up in the bunk as a tre- 
mendous sea fell over the house, thinking the 
precise moment had come at a very unfortunate 
time. 

On the 25th March, Wednesday, the ship 
was wore round upon her course under the 
main - upper - topsail and foresail with square 
yards. These and the mainsail were the only 
sails left intact; all the rest had been blown 
out from the gaskets. Eunning before the 
wind and a mountainous sea, we were abso- 
lutely compelled to keep on for fear of being 
swamped. A black cloud is seen to windward 
casting its ominous shade over the waves, 
which under its influence came tossing and 
rolling on to us, foaming and wild-looking. A 
mighty blast — the masts creak, the rigging 
rattles, and the ship staggers along overcome 



THE WEATHER MODERATES. 359 

with its violence. " Keep her before it ! " sings 
ont the captain to the man at the wheel, the 
wind being two points on the starboard quarter. 
Onward we tear, literally ploughing the sea, 
which pours over the forecastle-head and along 
the deck. Our eyes are on the foresail ; we 
watch the sheet further strengthened by tackles 
— will it stand it? Presently the wind abates 
its force, the black cloud passes over, and we 
once more come up to our course. 

In the foreuoon a large steamer, which had 
been observed sailing in an opposite direction 
to us, about ten miles off, bore down upon us 
to ascertain whether we required any assist- 
ance. We replied in the negative, with thanks. 
We all considered it very courteous of their 
captain to come so far out of his course to help 
us. We certainly looked in a sorry condition; 
and we passed several pieces of wreckage. This 
lasted on and off for two days more ; and by 
Friday the 27th, the weather had so far ameli- 
orated into a stiff breeze from W. S. W. to 
W.KW., that we were enabled to bend new 
sails. Almost all the clothes aboard were either 
half spoilt or washed away. Our unfortunate 



360 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

passengers' outfits were completely ruined; 
such a combination of remains of shirts, clothes, 
gloves, and paper collars iedn jed to pulp, as 
would have set up a rag-shop, they assured 
the captain that they had had enough of the 
Atlantic in a sailing vessel to last them a mod- 
erate lifetime, and solemnly asserted they would 
never cross it again otherwise than in a Cunard 
steamer. 

Having had our portside-light washed over- 
board, we contrived to make the anchor light 
do by cutting off a piero of the red fly of the 
ensign and tying it round the glass. Wednes- 
day, 1st April, we sighted the Lizard Light at 
3 A.M.; Old England at last ! The cheering and 
long-expected Light gladdened all hearts, and 
put an end to all doubts concerning our dis- 
tance from land, as the captain had not been 
able lately to " take " the sun. How we spec- 
ulated on the probable day for arriving in the 
Thames, in the docks ; what happy excitement ! 
Our stormy passage had smothered those warm- 
hearted feelings and expressions of mutual 
friendship so common to sailors when nearing 
home ; but they burst forth at the first visible 



OLD ENGLAND SIGHTED. 361 

proof of the old country's nearness. Old quar- 
rels are made up, vexatious questions settled, 
and everything is squared up as an appropriate 
ending to a long voyage. One would fancy by 
the different seamen's talk that not one of them 
would ever think of coming back to sea again. 
But it is a false impression : the sailor is no 
sooner in dock than he has forgotten all he has 
said, and is just as careless and happy-go-lucky 
as when he came off the preceding voyage, and 
the one before that. 

We were all anxiety to get to London ; would 
the S. W. breeze (fair wind) last ? Should we 
have to beat up Channel against a head wind ? 
In looking back now, how short the voyage 
seemed ! nobody thought of past troubles, still 
less of those to come. "Who would believe, said 
Baker, that it is a year ago since we were tak- 
ing in ballast at Sydney for Newcastle ? Thurs- 
day a dense fog enveloped us, and to our in- 
tense sorrow we were compelled to shorten sail, 
creeping along at barely five knots. The fog- 
horn was kept continually going, and soundings 
taken every two hours. The captain and chief 
mate differing in their calculations as to the 



362 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

position of the ship, she was hove-to during the 
night. About 10 A.M. Friday, the atmosphere 
cleared, revealing to our expectant gaze the 
well-known cliffs of Beachy Head. Finding 
ourselves too close inshore, we put the ship 
about, and stood off on the other tack to clear 
some dangerous shoals. At three o'clock we 
kept on our course again, and under square 
yards bore up Channel, arriving off Dover be- 
tween four and five o'clock, when we hove-to 
and took a pilot aboard. " Square away your 
mainyard ! " shouted the captain. " Loose the 
fore and mizzen top-gallant sails ! " sang out our 
pilot ; and under this additional canvas, besides 
staysails, we tore along at nearly twelve knots an 
hour. " The London girls have got hold of the 
tow-rope now," was the general remark, as we 
dashed through the water, every inch of canvas 
drawing, the white cliffs of Albion to our left, 
the distant shores of France on our right — their 
respective distances appearing curiously decep- 
tive after the unlimited wastes of the ocean. 
The lighthouses being just lighted, enlivened 
the scene with their bright rays ; some red, some 
white, some both — now a red glare, then a white 



Oi'F 21 A HO ATE. 363 

flashing and vanishing in the dusky evening 
like monster fire-flies. 

We were highly amused with the tng-boats 
that now and again darted out to us from some 
snug little nook on the coast, to offer their 
services. " Take yer up for £40," roars 
out to our captain a stumpy little man, 
with bushy red whiskers, equally out of breath 
with his craft, its snorting and puffing being 
absolutely painful to us. But having a fair 
wind up to Margate, our captain prefers engag- 
ing a tug there at a cheaper rate, which fact he 
very plainly makes known to our eager friend 
of tugging propensity. Failing to strike a bar- 
gain and to keep pace with our ship, he turns 
his boat's nose landwards, and gradually dis- 
appears out of sight. 

Arrived off Margate towards seven o'clock, 
and let go top-gallant and topsail halyards fore 
and aft, hauled up mainsail and foresail, hauled 
down jibs and staysails, and let go the anchor, 
which sank with an eagerness that spoke vol- 
umes for its affection for its country's mud. 
The old town nestling on the distant cliffs, with 
which it blended in the dim grey evening, 



364 TWO FEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

appeared to welcome us home. Glad as we 
were to be so far, we had fully anticipated pro- 
ceeding straight up the Thames that night ; 
however, the pilot foretold a rough night, which 
proved true. One after the other the sails were 
furled, with perhaps a little extra care, being 
the final stow; ropes on deck were coiled down, 
things put square, and all hands went to tea at 
eight o'clock. Nobody made much of a meal ; 
we were too near home to think of eating — we 
were like schoolboys about to break up for the 
holidays. Chests were being busily packed 
with such remnants as the boisterous Atlantic 
had been pleased to leave us, and cleats and 
grommets strongly nailed on for carrying ashore. 
Most of the men were going to boarding-houses 
where they had been before ; only two had the 
intention of putting up at the Sailors' Home — 
Jack Anderson and Andrew Edgren, both 
Swedes. 

The Sailors' Home, whether it be in London 
or Liverpool, Melbourne or Calcutta, is not in 
special favour with the majority of. seamen. 
They do not consider it a home ; nor can this 
be wondered at when one takes into account 



JSAILUHtf HOMES. 365 

the stringent rules by which they must abide 
during their sojourn under its roof. The mer- 
chant sailor, who has more than the ordinary 
hatred for discipline, has more than enough 
of it at sea, where his own safety alone demands 
compliance. But when he quits his ship, and, 
as he styles it, becomes his own master, he 
likes to carry on as he chooses. In the monot- 
onous tropics, or in the stormy seas, he con- 
soles himself by thinking of the easy times he 
will indulge in when the ship gets home again. 
Having all night in, he will get up when he 
likes, go to bed ditto, take his meals when he 
pleases, and select his own dishes, and won't 
put his hand to a thing. That is the tar's 
beau ideal of happiness. However, the Sail- 
ors' Home authorities insist on regular hours, 
which, although good in principle, do not fall 
in with Jack's views. Indeed some, unknow- 
ingly, are quite as systematic in their boarding- 
house life as at the " home ; " but the difference 
between liberty and compulsion is vast. 

After tea, anchor-watch was set, mine falling 
from 2 to 3 A.M. The wind, which had beeu 
steadily increasing, now whistled spitefully 



3C6 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

through the rigging, and dashed the waves on 
deck unchecked by our shattered bulwarks. 
We shut both doors, and turned in at 9 P.M., 
thankful to be at anchor. True, being all three 
below together, I had nothing but my chest to 
lie on, but that was of small consequence, tired 
out as I was ; in fact, as sailors say, I doubted 
not but I could have slept with my head in 
a bucket of water. Being called at 2 a.m. by 
the man on watch to relieve him, I hastened 
into the galley, where I found a comfortable 
fire and some hot coffee, sweetened. Sitting 
looking at the flames, and listening to the howl 
of the wind outside, the time did not at all 
hang heavily on me. The whole voyage passed 
through my mind in one long panorama — the 
succession of gales down Channel ; our stay in 
Portland ; the romance of the tropical nights ; 
my queer first impressions of the sea; our 
arrival in Sydney — the wonderful scenery ; un- 
interesting Newcastle ; the calm Pacific; Hong- 
Kong, Foo-chow, Shanghai, all calling to mind 
strange sights, now magnified by distance; the 

untimely end of Captain F , and the 

incidents connected with his burial ; sailing 



IN THE THAMES. 367 

down the China Sea, Banca, Sumatra, Java; 
our drifting ashore in those wild regions; the 
Indian Ocean ; the loss of Johnson ; romantic 
St Helena; our arrival in New York; and, as a 
wind up, the horrors of the North Atlantic. 

On the following morning — Saturday, 4th 
April — the wind calmed down, the blue sky- 
appeared, followed by the sun, and all hands 
were in the height of spirits, even to the two 
Chinaman stewards — "duffers" at everything 
else but cunning and making pastry. A tug 
was engaged; and by eleven o'clock — the anchor 
being weighed, the hawser made fast, and the 
yards braced sharp up to the wind — we pro- 
ceeded on our last journey, the final stage of 
the voyage, to the West India Docks. With 
wind and tide against us, we wended our way 
but slowly, and it was 7 p.m. when we got 
abreast of Sheerness. Nothing much was doing 
now. The captain and pilot walked the poop 
together, occasionally laughing at some good 
joke ; the chief and second mates were leaning 
over the port bulwarks ; while the rest of us 
were either in the galley or on the forecastle- 
head, awaiting orders. 



368 TWO YEARS ABAFT THE MAST. 

Arrived at Gravesend at eleven o'clock, the tug 
slackening speed to enable the Customs officers 
to climb aboard. The moon struggling with the 
clouds lit up the scene at intervals, and helped 
us to see our way. The Downs pilot now left us. 
the river or " mud " pilot taking his place. Wf 
then set to rigging in the jib-boom, which kept 
us employed till off "Woolwich, where it became 
necessary to shorten the drift of the hawser. 
We reached the West India Dock gates by 
1.30 A.M., and commenced slowly hauling into 
dock, where we finished mooring to a buoy at 
three o'clock, all hands then going to rest, the 
captain giving strict orders that no one should 
go ashore till morning. But, impatient to get 
my liberty, I washed and dressed there and 
then, and by four o'clock was over the ship's 
side, out of the dock -gates, and on my way 
to town. But after walking two miles, my 
boots began to hurt me (they had been soak- 
ing in salt water for an indefinite period) ; 
and being unable to ride, as I had only half 
a rupee in my pocket, which nobody would 
change, I was compelled to retrace my steps. 
Fortunately only the cook was up when I re- 



HOME AT LAST. 369 

turned aboard, although it was eight o'clock ; 
so putting on my dirty clothes again, I abided 
my time. The "runners" soon afterwards 
came aboard ; one or two had their horse and 
cart on the quay ready to carry off Jack and 
all his gear. In another two hours not a sailor 
remained aboard the ship. Bidding good-bye 
to the weather-beaten Sea Queen, I proceeded 
by rail to Fenchurch Street station to report 
myself to the owners and ask permission to go 
home, which was duly granted. 

On the 24th August my sea indentures were 
cancelled, and on the same day I obtained an 
official discharge from the Kegistrar of Seamen. 



SJk 



EXPLANATION OF SEA TEEMS. 



Abaci. — The situation of the sails when the wind pressei 
them against the masts, forcing the ship astern. 

Abaft. — Towards the stern. 

About. — Tacking ship. 

A-cock-bill. — The situation of the yards when topped uj 
perpendicularly. 

A'lee.— Putting the helm in the opposite direction to that in 
which the wind blows. 

All aback. — The situation of a vessel with the wind sud- 
denly blowing on the fore side of the sails. 

» III in the wind. — When all the sails are shaking. 

Avast ('vast). — An order to stop, as "avast hauling I" 

Backstays. — Stays running from a mast-head to the ship's 

side, slanting aft. 
Ballast. — Weight taken aboard to keep a vessel upright or 

steady ; usually sand, iron, or stone. 
Bar (ca2)stan-bar\ — Heavy pieces of wood by which thf 

capstan is here round. 
Bare pules. — No sails set 
Barnacle. — A shell-fish much found on ship's bottoms. 



872 EXPLANATION OF SEA TERMS. 

Bark. — A three-masted vessel : fore and main masts ship- 
rigged ; her mizzen like a schooner's main-mast, carry- 
ing a spanker and gaff topsail. 

Battens. — Pieces of wood put round a hatch to keep tarpau- 
lin down. Also, strips of wood nailed under chests to 
keep them off the damp deck. 

Beam-ends. — Laying over on one side. 

Bear down. — Approaching. 

Bear a hand. — Make haste. 

Beating. — Tacking against the wind. 

Beclcet. — A handle or loop made with the strand of a rope. 
A piece of rope for confining another rope or a spar. 

Belay. — To make fast a rope round a pin without hitching. 

Bend. — To attach. Bending a sail — making it fast to the 
yard. 

Bight. — Folding a rope over in the form of a loop ; in con- 
tradistinction from the ends. 

Bilge. — That part of a ship which would rest on the ground 
if ashore upright. Bilge- water — water which settles in 
the bilge. 

Binnacle. — A box or case near the helm, containing the com- 
pass to steer by. 

Bitts.— Pieces of wood or iron to which ropes and cables are 
fastened. 

Block. — "Wooden case containing sheaves on which tackles 
reeve. 

Bluff-bowed. — A vessel with a heavy square bow. 

Board. — The stretch a ship makes on one tack when beating. 
By the board — said of masts when they fall over the side. 

Boat-hook. — A staff with an iron hook to hold a boat fast 
with. Chain -hook — long iron hooks for dragging 
chain-cables along deck. 

Boatswain {bos'ri). — Petty officer having charge of the rig- 
ging, &c. ; generally remains on deck all day and turns 
in all night. 



EXPLANATION OF SEA TERMS. 373 

Bobstays. — Used to stay the bowsprit down to the stem. 

Bdtrope. — The rope which is sewn round the edge of a 
sail. 

Boom.— A spar. 

Bow. — The rounded part of a vessel forward. 

Bower. — An anchor. 

Bowline (bo-lin). — A rope employed for holding the leach 
out when a ship is close-hauled ; now seldom used. 

Bowse. — To pull on a tackle. 

Bowsprit. — A stout spar standing out from the bows. 

Box-hauling. — "Wearing by backing the head yards ; swing- 
ing the yards to a shifting wind. 

Brace. — A rope for hauling a yard round. 

Breaker. — A small water-cask. 

Brig. — A square-rigged vessel with two masts. A herma- 
phrodite brig has a brig's fore-mast and a schooner's 
main-mast. 

Broach-to. — Falling off, so as to bring the wind on the other 
quarter, and take the sails aback. 

Bulk.— Stowed in bulk. Goods stowed loose ; not in casks 
or bags. 

Bulkhead. — A partition separating different parts of a vessel. 

Bulwarks. — Woodwork round the decks. 

Bumboats. — Boats for supplying crews with provisions, &c, 
in port. 

Buntline (buntlin). — Thin woollen stuff of which a ship's 
colours are made. 

Buntlines. — Ropes for hauling up the body of a sail. 

Cabin. — After-part of a vessel in which the officers live. 

Cable. — A strong heavy chain secured to the anchor ; usu- 
ally 120 fathoms in length. 

Capstan. — A machine on deck for a strong purchase in heav- 
ing. Men-o'-war weigh their anchors by a capstan ; 
merchant vessels by a windlass. 



374 EXPLANATION OF SEA TERMS. 

Catliead. — Large timbers projecting from the ship's side, to 

which the anchor is raised and secured. 
Cat's-paw. — A light current of air seen on the water during 

a calm. 
Chafe. — Wear and tear by friction. Chafing-gear -small 

stuff used to protect the rigging from chafing. 
Channels. — Broad pieces of plank bolted edgewise to the 

outside of a vessel for spreading the rigging ; now sel- 
dom used. 
Cheerly I — Sharply ; with a will. 
Chock. — Wedge to secure anything with. Chock-a-block 

— when the two blocks of a tackle are run close up 

together. 
Cleat. — A piece of wood to belay ropes to. 
Clew. — Lower corner of a sail. 
Clew-line. — A rope that hauls up the clew. Clew-garnet — 

the clew-line of a course. 
Close-hauled. — Sailing near the point from which the wind 

is blowing. Also termed, on a taut bowline ; full and 

by ; on the wind. 
Club-hauling. — Bringing a ship's head round on the other 

tack, by letting go the anchor, and slipping the cable. 
Coamings. — Framework round the hatches, to preventwater 

going down the hold. 
Companion. — Wooden covering over the steps to a cabin. 
Conning. — Directing the helmsman. 
Course. — The sails of the lower yard. 
Crank. — Inclined to lay over before the breeze, owing to 

construction or bad stowage. 
Cross-jack (cro-jack). — The mizzen yards. 
Cuddy. — Cabin of a ship. 

Davits. — Iron bars to which the boats are suspended. 
Dead reckoning. — Calculating a ship's position by distance 
run and course made. 



EXPLANATION OF SEA TERMS. 876 

Dog-vane. — A small pennant fixed in the truck to show the 

direction of the wind. 
Downhaul. — Rope for hauling down jihs and staysails. 

Fathom Six feet. 

Fore and aft. — Lengthwise with the ship; contrary to 

athwartships. 
Forecastle (fok'sle).^— The fore-part of the vessel where the 

sailors live. 
Fox. — Twisting several yarns together for "serving," &c. 

Gaff. — A spar to which is Dent the head of a fore-and-aft 

sail. 
Galley. — The cooking-place. 
Gaskets. — Pieces of sennit or line for securing the sails to the 

yards. 
Grating. — Open lattice- work of wood. 
Gunwale {gunnel). — Upper rail of a boat or ship. 
Guy. — Rope to prevent anything swaying from one side to 

the other. 

Halyards. — Rope for hoisting yards and sails. 

Hammock. — Canvas bedding slung for jailors to sleep in ; 

now only used in men- o'- war. Merchant- ships are 

provided with bunks. 
Handsomely I — Gently, carefully. 
Handspike. — A wooden bar for heaving at the windlass. 
Harness-casks. — Brass-bound casks on the quarter-deck, 

wherein is kept the salt pork and beef. 
Hawser. — A large rope used for mooring, warping, &c 
Heave-to. — Laying-to. 
Helm. — Steering apparatus. 
Holystone. — Stone employed for rubbing the decks with. 

Jib-boom. — Boom beyond the bowsprit. 



376 EXPLANATION OF SEA TERMS. 

Junk — Old rope. Name given by sailors to the salt meat 

they eat. 
Jury -mast. — A temporary mast. 

Kedge. —A small anchor for warping. 

Kentledge. — Pig-iron ballast. 

Kink. — Twist in a rope. 

Knight-heads. — Timbers next the stem on each side. 

Knot. — A division on the log-line, answering to a mile. 

Leach. — Sides of a sail. 

Leading wind. — A fair wind for two opposite directions, 

Lee. — The reverse side to that on which the wind blows. 

Leeway. — What a vessel loses by drifting. 

Lie-to. — "Weathering a gale by keeping the ship's head to 

the sea and wind, and making no headway. 
Life-lines. —Ropes stretched along any part of a vessel for 

men to hold on to. 
List. — Inclination of a vessel to one side. 
Long-loot. — The largest boat in a merchant- vessel. Usually 

carried between the fore and main masts. 
Lubber's hole. — An opening in the top, next the mast. 
Luff. — Bringing the ship to the wind. 

Marlinspihe. — An iron pin, sharpened at one end for splic- 
ing and knotting. 
Moon-sail. — Light sail above the skysail ; seldom carried. 

Pay-off. — When a vessel's head falls off from the wind. 

Poop. — Deck over the after-end of a spar-deck. 

Port (formerly called larboard). — Left side of a ship, looking 
towards the bow. Port the helm, is to put it to star- 
board. 



EXPLANATION OF SEA TERMS. 377 

Quarter. — The part of the vessel's side between the after- 
part of the main chains and the stern. 

Quarter-deck. — That part of the deck abaft the mainmast. 

Quarter-master. — A petty officer who superintends or carries 
on the steering. 

Ratlines.- — Lines running across the shrouds horizontally to 

step upon. 
Reef. —Reducing a sail by taking in upon its head if a square 

sail, and its foot if a fore-and-aft saiL 
Royal. — Sail above the top-gallant-sail. 

Sag. — Drifting off bodily to leeward. 

Save-all. — A small sail sometimes set under the foot of a 

lower studding-sail ; seldom used. 
Schooner. — Small vessel with two masts and no tops. A 

fore-and-aft schooner has only fore-and-aft sails. A 

topsail schooner carries a square foresail, and sometimes 

a top-gallant-sail and royal. 
Scotchman. — A large batten placed on rigging to save from 

chafing. 
Scuppers. — Holes in the waterways for the water to run off 

the deck. 
Scuttle. — Small hatchway. 
Scuttle-butt. — A cask on deck filled with water for daily use. 

" Three turns round the long-boat, and a pull at the 

scuttle-butt," said of a seaman who pretends being very 

busy without doing any work. 
Sennit. — Braid made by plaiting rope-yarns or spun-yarns 

together. 
Sheet. — Rope holding the clew down. 
Sheet-anchor. — Ship's largest anchor ; not carried at the bow. 
Ship. — Vessel with three complete masts. 
Shrouds. — Ropes stretching from the ship's side to the 

mast-heads to support the masts. 



878 EXPLANATION OF SEA TERMS. 

Shids. — Pieces of timter supported over the deck to rest 
boats on ; usually over the quarter-deck. 

Sky sail. — Light sail above the royal. 

Shop. — Small vessel with one mast. 

Slew. — To turn over or round. 

So t — Order to 'vast hauling. 

Spanker. —After fore-and-aft sail of a ship or bark. 

Splice. — Joining two ropes together by interweaving the 
strands. 

Starboard. — Eight side of a vessel looking towards the bow. 

Stay. — Tacking a vessel. 

Stays. — Ropes supporting the masts fore and aft 

Staysail. — Sail set on a stay. 

Stern-sheets. — After-part of a boat. 

Stiff. — A vessel that stands upright before a breeze. 

Studding-sail (stunsail). — Light sails carried outside the 
square sails in fair weather. 

Swab. — Mops formed of rope-yarns for drying a deck. 

Swig. — Hauling on the bight of a rope with the end fast. 

Tack. — To put a ship about and bring the wind on the other 
side. 

Tackle (tay-cle). — A purchase formed by blocks. 

Taffrail (tafferel). — Eail round a ship's stern. 

Tell-tale. — Compass in the cabin to enable the captain to 
tell the ship's course without going on deck. Also, a 
little instrument marking the position of the tiller. 

Top. — Platform overhead of lower mast, resting on the 
trestle-trees to spread the rigging, and for the conve- 
nience of men aloft. 

Topmast. — Mast above the lower mast. 

Top-gallant-mast. — Mast above the topmast. 

Topsail. — Second sail above the deck. 

Top-gallant-sail. — Sail above the topsail. 

Trich. — Length of a man's duty at the " wheel." 



EXPLANATION OF SEA TERMS. 87* 

Truck. — A round piece of wood fitted on to the end of mast*, 
having small sheave-holes for signal halyards. 

Vang. — Hope for steadying a gaff. 

Warp. — Moving a ship from one place to another by a rop« 
made fast to some fixed object. 

Wear. — To turn a vessel round on the other tack by filling 
away and squaring in the yards ; carrying her stern 
round by the wind. The opposite of tacking. 

Windlass.— A machine used to weigh anchor by. 

Tarn. — Said of a vessel keeping an unsteady course. 



WTLLIAM H. BROWNE, A. M. 



WITTY SAYINGS 



— BY- 



WITTY PEOPLE. 

Containing nearly 3000 Witticisms, arranged under the heads of 

BULLS PUNS RETORTS 

EPIGRAMS APHORISMS JESTS \ 

ANECDOTES EPITAPHS CONUNDRUMS 

304 Pages Duodecimo. 
Price, post-paid to any address, $1.00. ' 



Opinions of the Press. 
"Full of fun and entertainment."— Phila. Press. 
"Not an offensive idea or sentence in the volume." — Boston Travamr. 
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"Laughable and bright."— Boston Advertiser. 



The book is printed on heavy, tinted paper, is handsomely bound 
with beveled edges, and with ornamented gilt side and back 
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Philadelphia Bar, and the author of a number of law books which 
have been largely circulated. «^ ,_ $} Ck t* * J 

Bafofa IWtltag, Puonsher, 

23 South Ninth St., Philadelphia; 



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